The Opposites
by Cassy27
Summary: When Odin tries to take Loki's magic away as punishment for his crimes on Earth, something goes awfully wrong. It will be up to Thor to save his brother, even if that means saving him from himself. Post-Avengers! No Slash!
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Marvel-characters!**

**Summary: When Odin tries to take Loki's magic away as punishment for his crimes on Earth, something goes awfully wrong. It will be up to Thor to save his brother, even if that means saving him from himself. No Slash! **

**AN: I don't know what I am getting myself into, but I decided to start this story. The idea just came to me and I had to get it out of my head! I will try and update this regularly. I had so much fun writing this chapter, so please let me know what you think of it. Enjoy!**

**Also, all credit of the picture used as 'cover' for this story goes to ASGARDIAN SOUL on Tumblr! Her creations are awesome!**

**~ The Opposites ~**

**Chapter 1**

The computer screen indicated no new data, but Tony knew they were missing something. He was currently standing before a high table, one hand supporting the other that was currently supporting his chin. He was in a pensive mood, one that was slowly transforming into a venomous mood. Tony disliked it when he failed to get answers.

Luckily, Bruce Banner was still around to uplift him. "You've been staring at that thing for thirty minutes now," he said, "are you expecting answers to jump out of it?"

Tony spun around and smirked. "No, but I often experience revelations when I focus long enough on something. You know, that's what you get with a high intelligence."

"I have a high intelligence."

"Apparently not high enough." His smirk grew wider.

Bruce only threw him a questionable glance before turning back to his stack of papers that showed dozens and dozens of graphs. Tony knew that looking at those wouldn't get them any new information either, but he would wait for Banner to figure that out.

There was another five-minute-silence.

"Maybe the thing is just switched off," Tony suggested.

Bruce peered over the edge of his glasses. "That's actually not so farfetched." He stood from his seat and walked over to Tony. They went to stare at the weapon together. "It hasn't worked since Loki left earth, has it?"

Tony began to nod slowly. "All it has done is give of some minor gamma radiation."

Carefully, Bruce reached out and placed a hand on the scepter. He didn't know what he'd expected to happen, but he knew they had reached a complete dead end. The scepter did absolutely _nothing_. It didn't begin to increase its power, nor did the amount of gamma radiation rise. For all it mattered, the only dangerous aspect of this weapon was its pointy end.

Bruce let a sigh escape from him.

"Maybe we should try to connect it with some sort of energy-source," Tony said.

"The only power-source that got this thing working was the Tesseract," Bruce countered, "and we no longer have that."

"The only power-source we know of," Tony corrected him.

Bruce walked back to his desk, rummaging through his papers again. "We'll have to find something else then."

The blue core began to light up. Tony instinctively stepped back, his arms dropping beside his body.

"Uhm, Bruce?"

There was a part in Tony that told him to pick up the scepter, to examine it up closer, but there was another part of him that screamed to run away. However, Tony was never one to listen to the sane part of his mind. He carefully approached the table with the scepter upon it.

"Tony, don't!" Bruce caught Tony's arm and pulled him back. His hand shot out to point at the alarming new readings displayed on one of the computer screens. "There are high readings of gamma radiation. It looks like the weapon is switched on again."

There was a loud bang.

Tony and Bruce quickly shielded their faces away even though they had no idea what had just happened. Did something just explode? When they dared to look up again, they found they were no longer alone in the lab. On the other side of the table stood the one person they'd hoped to never see again.

Loki looked disheveled with ashen gray skin and messy black hair. His cheekbones stood sharp underneath his sunken wild and dark eyes. He looked like a wild beast that just escaped its cage. His gaze switched quickly between Tony and Bruce who slowly backed away. They were in no way prepared to fight the God of Mischief.

There was a moment of utter silence before Loki grabbed his scepter in one swift movement. He fired the weapon, sending a bolt of energy towards Tony and Bruce. The two Avengers could only jump aside. Tony wasn't the religious type, but right now he was praying that Bruce would not turn into his alter ego.

Loki disappeared in the blink of an eye, leaving Tony and Bruce surrounded by a half destroyed lab.

"Uhm," Tony said uncertainly when he knew Bruce was still himself, "what did just happen?"

_~ o ~_

_A few hours earlier_

_~ o ~_

The halls of the palace were mostly empty. These were strange times for Asgard and Thor knew how that came. Much had happened the last few months and things were only beginning to settle down. The Æsir had been outraged when they had learned Thor had brought back home his brother Loki. They had given him most awful names, but only the term War Criminal had truly stuck. The Æsir had only been calmed when Odin had assured them Loki would face just punishment in time.

That time was today.

In a few hours, Odin would summon Loki to him where he would proceed to extract his magic from his body. Thor knew what such a fate meant. He had lived it himself when Odin had taken his power from him all those months ago. He remembered his time on Midgard with Jane fondly.

But Loki was not in his chambers to which he was normally obliged to stay. Being the youngest son of the King did have advantages and Loki was allowed to use the grand bath chambers of the palace, along with the library. Thor knew his brother well enough to know he would find him in the latter.

When he entered the library, Thor made sure that his presence had been noticed. He pushed open the doors with much force and closed them in the same manner. They fell shut with a loud bang. Only Loki and four guards were inside, but Thor found it much too crowded anyway. He had never understood why Loki had found his sanctuary here. This place was dusty and boring.

"Leave us," he ordered the guards with a dismissing flick of his wrist.

"But the King has ordered that Loki must remain under constant guard," one of the four men replied.

"He will be under guard," Thor said annoyed, not liking that his order had been ignored so easily, "_my_ guard_. _Besides, he has no way of escaping this room. You will remain waiting outside."

The four guards nodded and left.

Loki had not even bothered to look up the entire time. Thor cared not and went to sit across from his brother. They sat at the head of a table which was filled with books, old and new, thick and thin. Loki seemed to be absorbed in a tale Thor had never heard of. It told the story of Greek Gods on Midgard or something.

"Why is it that you're required to stay within the four walls of your room, but that you still manage to spend hours in the library?"

Loki peeked over the edge of his book, his green eyes narrowed. He had never understood why Thor insisted on spending as much time as possible with him while he could be outside sparring with Sif and the Warriors Three. Thor had tried to explain, but Loki only met him with defiance and disbelief. Thor truly did just want to spend time with his brother. He truly did hope to rekindle their brotherly relationship.

Loki had told Thor repeatedly that too much had happened for that to be possible.

"I rather be here than in my bedchambers," Loki answered plainly, his gaze returning to the book, "I grow awfully bored staring at those walls."

Thor dreaded to think what would happen if Loki did grow bored. It had never predicted much good during his childhood and it had been catastrophic during his adulthood. It was so that his mischievous had grown into evilness, but those times were gone now. At least, that is what Thor kept telling himself. He refused to believe his brother was _evil_ while he sat so peacefully before him with a book in his hands.

"I know this is mother's doing," Thor said, leaning back in the chair and balancing it on two legs, "she probably convinced father to allow you this much freedom. She still trusts you, Loki."

"What? She trusts I won't try anything?" Loki estimated his chances at actual reading his book were very slim now that Thor was there. He tossed it onto the smooth table surface and locked his gaze with Thor's. "It's not that I _can_ actually try something," he said through clenched teeth while lifting his hands to show Thor the magical iron chain that bound them together. Luckily, the ten inch chain granted Loki much freedom of movement.

But Thor knew that wasn't what Loki was referring to. The chain prevented him from using magic and had been created by Odin himself. Thor had told his brother he should find it an honor that Odin would need to invent something like that solely for him. Loki had not been amused by that comment.

"The punishment is just, brother," Thor said and he was painfully reminded of how much he sounded like his father. He could see that Loki was thinking alike since he cocked his head to one side, his eyes a shade of 'are-you-kidding-me'. "What I meant to say," Thor quickly added, "is that father is only trying to help you."

"By taking away my magic?" Loki sounded extremely skeptical. "It is what defines me, Thor, and he is about to rip it from my very veins."

"You will have a chance to earn it back," Thor defended the punishment, "I have gone through it myself. After I tried to provoke a war with Jotunheim, father took away my power, but I proved myself honorable and worthy and I regained that power."

"But your forget," Loki added cynically, "I didn't try to provoke a war. I tried to destroy Jotunheim and when that failed, I tried to enslave an entire planet."

"_Pft_," Thor waved away the comment, "but you showed remorse."

Loki raised one eyebrow. "Did I?"

Thor had to admit that Loki had in fact _never_ showed remorse. Then again, he wasn't the type of person to regret any action. He would rather fall of a cliff than admit fault. Perhaps Loki was a proud person in that way, but Thor knew his brother well enough to know what he was actually thinking. Again, that's what he kept telling himself.

"It matters not," Loki sighed. He rummaged through a stack of books and ended up opening an old one in a strange language. Thor wished he knew what the title read, but he didn't want to ask Loki since he would only smile knowingly while remaining absolutely silent. "Are you not bored yet, Thor?"

"No," Thor replied, letting his legs rest on the table. It earned him a glare from Loki but Thor only smiled back. "I told you since the very beginning that I would visit you every day. I was not talking about brief visits."

"You know what I think?" Loki leaned forward over the table as if he was about to tell Thor a dark secret. "That this is my actual punishment: putting up with you every afternoon while I can't magic you to silence." He went ahead and pushed Thor's feet off of the table. He then leaned back with a smug expression on his face.

"That was-that was cruel, Loki," Thor feigned a hurt expression.

An actual smile curled Loki's lips upwards. One he tried unsuccessfully hide behind his book.

Thor knew he would remember this moment for a very long time. It was the first time that Loki had smiled without darkness in his eyes. It was the first time he had showed actual amusement. Thor made it his task to make that happen again.

"I will never leave your side," he said on a more serious note. He wasn't sure why he suddenly changed the subject or the mood, but he felt he had to tell Loki this. Perhaps he wanted to assure him of this now that he still could. "No matter what happens, you are my brother."

Loki's shield was back up in a blink of the eye. The youngest brother never felt comfortable discussing feelings. He had learned it made him appear weak. "Why are you saying this?"

"Because I may say that father's punishment is just," Thor explain, nothing but sincerity in his voice, "but I also know there lies a difficult time ahead of us. I don't want you to think that you must face this alone."

"At times, you appear the simplest soul in this realm," Loki said, "but then with a snap of your fingers, you turn around and say something…almost wise."

"I'll consider that a compliment," Thor smiled faintly, trying to lighten the mood again.

"Consider it what you want," Loki shrugged, "I know what it means."

"Oh yes?"

"It means you are starting to look like the Allfather."

That, in Loki's eyes, was most definitely _not _a compliment, but Thor chose to ignore that. Before he could reply, the doors to the library opened. One of the four guards stationed outside entered. He placed his right fist over his chest – approximately where his heart would be located – and bowed his head curtly. "The Allfather has requested both your presences."

"Ah," Loki sighed, slowly placing his book back onto the table, "so the time has come."

Thor rose from his chair. "Are you afraid?"

"Of course not." The words had flowed so easily from Loki's tongue that Thor actually doubted whether they were a lie or not. "I just want to get it over and done with. Then this abominable chain can finally be removed." To put strength to his words, Loki rattled the chain. Its ring echoed softly through the room.

Thor inhaled deeply. "Then let's go."


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Marvel-characters!**

**AN: I want to thank everyone who left me an awesome review! Seriously, they made my day. I'm glad many of you are excited. **_**I**_** am excited that you're liking it so far. Please enjoy the new chapter and let me know what you think!**

**~ The Opposites ~**

**Chapter 2**

The doors to the throne room opened and Thor and Loki entered, walking side by side. Thor had done so consciously. Every time he and Loki were together, he made sure they walked side by side. He made sure no one treated Loki as a lesser being and most of all, Thor made sure that Loki was aware of this. Months ago, Loki had spoken eight short words that had made Thor reconsider his position as a brother.

'_I only ever wanted to be your equal_.'

Thor made sure that he never put himself above his brother. At least, he _tried_ to make sure of it. It wasn't easy when he was the future king of Asgard, when he had defeated his brother countless time in battle and was considered the golden son of this realm. All this while Loki had become power-hungry, while he had tried to destroy or subjugate an entire race and while he was now a prisoner of Asgard. Yes, it was difficult for Thor not to feel himself better than Loki.

The throne room was awfully crowded. At least, it felt that way. Odin sat on his throne, Gungnir resting in his hand. Frigga stood next to him, her hands folded before her stomach. At the bottom of the steps stood Sif and the Warriors Three. Their eyes fell on Thor, kindly and compassionate. When they moved on to Loki, they turned cold and calculated. There were at least three dozen guards present, all lined up with long staffs in their hands. Finally, there were another twenty or so important Asgardian Elders present.

Thor wished that the execution of Loki's punishment could have happened in a small, intimate circle, but he knew the Elders would have never accepted that. They wanted to see the War Criminal punished for his crimes. They wanted to _actually_ _see_ Loki losing his magic with their own eyes.

Together, the two brothers walked forward and came to a halt before the steps. They had to look up in order to look at Odin. Thor placed his right fist over his chest and bowed his head. For a moment, he expected Loki to do the same, but the youngest son remained standing still like he had turned into a statue. Even his gaze looked cold and hard like stone. Thor knew that it was extremely disrespectful, but he said nothing about it.

"Well, I am here," Loki said in a slick voice. It sounded like he cared little about what was happening, but Thor knew better. If he looked closely at his brother, he could see fear hidden behind those green eyes. That is what he told himself. He simply had to believe that Loki could not be this indifferent.

Odin rose from his throne, leaning on Gungnir as he did so. With calculated steps, he descended the stairs. His eyes never left Loki's face. "Do you know your punishment?"

"Yes," Loki answered bitterly, "can we get this over with? The last thing I want to do, is be part in this needless play. I will not entertain the Elders."

The Elders shuffled back and forth, feeling uncomfortable by Loki's comment. Some of them turned red with anger, others paled and quickly turned away their face. The reactions seemed to amuse Loki whose lips curved upwards in a pleased smirk.

"You have the right to speak for yourself," Odin continued as if Loki had said nothing at all, "to defend yourself one last time before I commence with the punishment."

"Nothing I say will change your mind," Loki said, "so I won't waste my breath or time. I do want to emphasize again that I do not agree with this punishment. Taking away my magic will achieve nothing."

"Noted." Odin took a few steps forward until he stood directly before his youngest son.

Thor was unsure of what would follow now, but he distanced himself from his brother and father. He had never before seen Odin take away someone's magic. The King had done so before. He was one of the very beings in the universe that was capable of doing so. This did not happen often, however. Thor had only been child when Odin had once taken a warlock's magic and he had not witnessed the actual event.

Odin proceeded with removing the chain that bound Loki's hands. He kept the sharp edge of Gungnir close to Loki's throat. It served as a warning: do not make a wrong move, do not dare to escape or I will harm you in the name of Asgard. Thor felt slightly nauseous so he couldn't begin to imagine what Loki was currently feeling.

He made sure he never directed his eyes away from his brother. Loki looked to be holding his breath and his shoulders were tense. For a moment, Thor wondered why all this was happening. Couldn't he make an end to this? Couldn't he _stop_ this and take Loki away from this realm? He wanted nothing more than to protect his little brother, but the time that this had been possible was long gone.

_Be strong, brother_, Thor thought,_ it will soon be over_.

Odin's spear began to glow, a soft golden light surrounding only Loki. Soft words flowed from Odin's tongue, but Thor did not understand them. He had never understood the language of magic.

Loki swallowed heavily and closed his eyes. Pain crossed his face and at that moment Thor knew that something was wrong. Odin frowned and his grip on Gungnir loosened. People began to whisper and the Warriors Three and Sif stepped back as the golden light grew larger and larger.

Frigga's voice echoed through the throne room. "Stop!" She rushed down the stairs to her husband's side. "Stop, Odin, something is wrong!"

Odin paid her no attention. "Stop resisting, Loki," he merely warned.

So that's what was going on. Thor wanted step towards his brother and help his brother, but Frigga hurried to his side. Her hands reached for Thor's arm and she pulled him away from Loki, Odin and the golden light. Thor didn't even know if the light would harm him. He was too stunned to resist his mother's touch.

Loki and Odin were staring at each other. Odin looked strained and under much pressure while Loki grunted in pain. His legs were trembling, but he did not fall to the ground.

"Stop resisting the spell, brother," Thor yelled.

The golden light reached a new intensity and flashed across the entire room. Thor shielded his eyes from it. In an instinctive movement he threw his arms around his mother to protect her from any potential danger. He had not expected a tremor in the air around him, however, and he stumbled back – as did the rest of the attendees. When Thor finally moved away, allowing his mother to break free from his grasp, he could not believe his eyes.

Odin lay on the ground, having lost his balance and spear. His blue eyes stood wide with horror and Thor knew why.

They was no longer looking at just one Loki, but at _two_.

"By the Gods," Sif breathed from the other side of the room.

Frigga ran to Odin's side, kneeling beside him.

Thor was unsure of what he should do. He could only gape at the two versions of his brother. They were identical, yet so very different. There was no time to properly react, however, because the Loki on the left – looking disheveled and savage with wild, dark eyes – glanced around the room with a hungry gaze. A second later he disappeared into thin air.

Only one Loki remained. Thor was still unsure whether he should approach him or not. Clearly, the other Loki still had his magic (powerful magic at that). The Loki that had remained, however, looked calm and collected. His eyes were shade lighter than the other version of him. His hair was neatly combed back and he seemed…entirely composed.

"Loki?" Thor asked carefully. The other Loki had simply vanished, so the question was: what would this Loki do?

Loki had no eye for Thor, however. He was looking directly at his father who was standing up again with the help of his wife. When he spoke, his voice was caring, soft and almost innocent. It just didn't sound like the Loki Thor knew and loved.

"Father?" Loki asked. "Have I pleased you now?"

There simply were no words for this.

**AN: So…thoughts?**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Marvel-characters!**

**AN: First of all, thank you so much for all the reviews! Seriously, I was overwhelmed. Some of you have no idea what happened while others already figured it out. Either way, this chapter offers answers. It was a pain in the ass to write this, however, and I struggled with it greatly. Especially the first part. Please, please let me know if it was any good!**

**~ The Opposites ~**

**Chapter 3**

Thor watched how Frigga helped Odin stand up. The King looked slightly out of breath and leaned heavily on Gungnir as he stood. His one eye was focused entirely on Loki. Thor had no idea what had just happened. He also didn't know whether to run to his father's aid or to his brother's. When he looked at Loki, he found him calm and collected.

It was unlike anything Thor had witnessed before.

Then everything happened at once. Guards grabbed Loki and forced him down with much force. They kept their weapons close to his throat, threatening to injure him if he dared to make a wrong movement. Thor didn't understand it. His brother seemed completely compliant so there was no need for such violence.

Odin agreed with him.

"Leave him," the King ordered his guards. They instantly retreated their weapons and stepped back. Odin carefully walked closer to his youngest son and Frigga followed. No matter how obedient Loki appeared, everyone stayed extremely cautious.

Loki looked up. His wide, green gaze appeared innocent and almost…honest, but Thor reminded himself his brother was the God of Mischief. Loki had a talent for deceit and lies and this could be one of his many games.

Finally, Thor could not bear the situation any longer. He was anxious to get answers, to understand what was happening. "Father, what has happened?" He asked. Just as his parents, he stepped closer towards Loki. Now the youngest brother was looking up at three of them, still kneeling with his hands resting on his knees.

As another moment of silence passed, Thor noticed that Loki's calmness changed into unease. It was as if Loki himself did not understand what was happening. Could that actually be true?

"Loki?" Odin finally broke the silence. He forced his son to look into his eyes and then Odin began to nod. He knew what had happened and Thor grew impatient. "You need not fear, my son, you will not be harmed."

Thor frowned. A minute ago, his father was punishing Loki for his severe crimes against Midgard and now he was reassuring him? When he returned his gaze towards his little brother, Thor suddenly found a whole new person kneeling before him. This was _not_ the Loki he knew and loved. This Loki was something else entirely. For one, he looked utterly frightened. Loki would never reveal such a vulnerable emotion in the presence of the entire court.

…in the presence of his _enemies_. Had Loki lost his mind? Thor's head swirled with ideas, but then he remembered the _other_ Loki who had left the scene instantly. He had not looked frightened. That Loki had looked feral and angry. Thor's head began to hurt as he tried to understand what was happening.

Frigga's voice brought Thor back to reality. She spoke softly and with much emotion in her voice. Thor could not blame her, the person kneeling before her was still her son and she loved him deeply. "Odin, explain this to us."

"The spell to extract Loki's magic went horribly wrong I'm afraid," Odin sighed. He took Loki by the arm – very carefully and almost compassionately - and helped him stand. It was by far the kindest act Odin had shown his son in these past few months.

Loki had an awkward expression on his face; like he didn't know how to behave himself right now. When he stood, he placed his right fist over his chest – approximately where his heart would be - and bowed his head in respect. It was a movement Loki had refused to make only minutes ago.

"Have I not pleased you, father?" Loki asked.

"It is all right, son," Odin said kindly, "we will fix this."

Thor grew irritated. "What is _happening_?"

Odin turned to look at Thor and doing so, he showed his back to Loki. It was something the King would not have done in the months gone by. He would fear that Loki would attack him, but now he was completely confident that he would not try anything.

"As I started to remove Loki's magic," Odin explained, "he tried to protect himself but my spell was too powerful and he could not resist it entirely. In function of self-preservation, Loki's magic split himself from his original body."

Thor frowned. He had no clue what his father was trying to tell him. It was simply too complicated. "I don't understand."

"All of Loki's magic separated into a new body," Odin continued, "but his magic is greatly fueled by anger and hatred. Therefore, in order to survive, the magic took with it all of Loki's…darkness."

"And this is what remained?" Thor asked as he looked at the still frightened form of his brother. He was starting to get a grip on the situation. "This is my brother without magic? Without any destructive emotions?"

Odin nodded. "For all intents and purposes, this Loki is light while the other one is utter darkness. One is good and pure, but his counterpart is villainous and vicious. _Evil_."

Loki's green eyes grew wide. "He merely feels abandoned," he suddenly argued.

Odin turned back towards his youngest son. He frowned deeply and suddenly turned very cautious once again. His grip on Gungnir tightened. "Why would you say that?"

Loki opened his mouth to speak, but then closed it again. Thor could swear that Loki was feeling completely uneasy. "I can feel him," Loki finally admitted. He looked towards the floor. "I can feel my counterpart and he feels…torn and very dangerous. He feels almost rotten, but I _understand_ him. It feels like I _know_ him."

"Yes…yes. Seems logical," Odin said absent-mindedly, "he is you and you are him."

"I cannot wrap my head around this," Thor sighed.

"Thor," Odin said with newfound strength in his voice. He looked at his heir. "You must find the other Loki. You mustbring both of them before me so I can undo this. This is of the utmost important. I fear for the realms as long as dark Loki is out there. He does not know restraints or remorse, nor does he understand empathy or kindness."

"I will find him, father," Thor promised, "but where must I begin this search? He has nine realms to hide in and he is powerful at the moment."

"Extremely powerful," Odin took in a deep breath, "after all, there is nothing holding him back now."

"He is on Midgard," Loki revealed.

Thor looked skeptical at his brother. How could this Loki know where the other one was?

Heimdall spoke then, "It is true what he says. I cannot see his counterpart for he has shielded himself away from my eagle eyes, but I can still see the destruction he has already caused. He stole back the scepter that once belonged to him."

"So he gone to my mortal friends," Thor hoped none were harmed, "then I'll find him in the great city of New York."

"You must take Loki here with you," Odin ordered, "he can help you find his counterpart. He might not be dark, but he still understands the concept. He knows how the other Loki thinks and acts. He will help you."

Thor was unsure about this idea. For months he had distrusted his brother. He had fought him on countless occasions and now he was supposed to work with him? That seemed impossible. Thor turned to Loki and tried to read his thoughts in his light green eyes. It was impossible, but Thor needed the answer to one question in particular.

"How did you know the other Loki was on earth?"

Loki seemed reluctant to admit it. "Like I said before, I can _feel_ him. I can sense his mood, as well as his whereabouts. It's not precise, but it might be useful."

Thor was content with the answer. Still, there remained a little voice in the back of his head telling him to be careful.

"Heimdall will use the Tesseract to get you to Midgard," Odin said, walking back to his throne, "find the other Loki before he destroys the planet in his wrath."

"Yes, father."

~ o ~

"I'm not saying you're crazy," Natasha crossed her arms before her chest. She looked extremely cynical while gazing at Tony and Bruce. "But I am saying that you two might have lost your minds."

"Isn't that the very definition of crazy?" Bruce asked, one eyebrow raised.

"Hey, it happened!" Tony interjected. "The surveillance tape will prove it."

They were standing in one of the many conference rooms in Stark Tower. Everyone was present except for a certain God of Thunder and they all knew they wanted to have a few words with him. If what Tony and Bruce said was true, they would be deeply disappointed in their Asgardian ally.

"Here is it," Tony said, finally playing back the tape that showed what had happened in the lab earlier.

At first, it showed Tony and Bruce bickering away while Bruce walked back to his desk to rummage through some papers. Then the blue core of the scepter began to lighten up. Everyone in the conference room looked intensely at the video as they understood that something massive was about to happen. They watched Tony take a step back from the weapon before walking towards it again. Bruce pulled him back just before a loud bang could be heard.

Loki appeared out of nowhere, grabbed the scepter and fired it at the two fellow scientists. Then he disappeared, leaving Tony and Bruce behind in a burning lab.

"Huh," Natasha uttered, "so it was Loki."

"I told you!" Tony sounded triumphant. "He wrecked my lab and I'm pretty sure that's not the first time. I can't take insurance for this kind of events. The insurer would laugh in my face when I'd say that I wish to insure myself and my labs against the destructive acts of an insane, power-hungry, god with daddy issues!"

"Let's not forget the brother-issues," Clint smirked.

"I'm sure money is not a problem in your case, Stark," Steve said seriously.

"It isn't, but this is not about that. It's about principle and-" Tony would have said more, but Fury interrupted him.

"This is severe," the director of SHIELD said, "it is clear that Thor failed us. He swore that his brother would face Asgardian justice, but either Loki has already been released or he already escaped. I'm betting my money on the last option. Either way, Loki is back and we should prepare for another war. He didn't seem very happy when he stole his scepter."

"Actually," Bruce said while he took his glasses from his nose, "it was very strange. He didn't really _look_ like the Loki I know."

"Do we really know Loki that well?" Clint asked.

"Unfortunately, yes. I agree with Bruce here," Tony said, "last time I saw Loki, he looked pretty displeased – with the muzzle and all - but now he just looked beastly. I thought he was going to kill us right then and there by just _glaring_ at us."

"What Tony means to say," Bruce continued with a slight roll of his eyes, "is that this Loki isn't the one we all know. At least that is my opinion. He appeared much more dangerous for some reason."

"I'm telling you," Tony said in a haunted voice, "it was the _eyes_."

"Knock it off," Fury warned, "this is a serious matter, Stark!"

Tony straightened his back. "I am being serious. You weren't there; you didn't see his face in close-up. For a moment there, I actually thought he was going to leap at my throat and rip it out with his teeth."

"Anyway," Steve said, "if what you say is true and Loki _is_ back – more dangerous than ever - then we should find him and stop whatever schemes he has planned for us. Last time he meant to rule our planet, so who knows what he is up to this time. Now that he has the scepter, he'll-"

There was a high, almost shrieking sound filling the room suddenly. A blue light began to shine that appeared out of nowhere and the Avengers backed away. To Tony and Bruce, the light was awfully familiar. Last time it had appeared, it had brought Loki with it. They dreaded to think who would appear this time.

From within the light, two persons appeared. One was wearing heavy armor and a red cloak while the other one was dressed in a more casual green outfit with a matching green cloak. For a short moment, everyone was completely silent. They looked shocked and uncertain of what had happened.

"Greetings, my friends," Thor smiled radiantly.

He didn't get a warm welcome in return. Clint pulled out his bow and arrow with the quickness of a fox and pointed it at the God of Mischief. Natasha grabbed for her gun and kept her finger tensely on the trigger. Fury took hold of a nine-millimeter and aimed it at Loki as well. The others were currently without weapon so they took a step back.

"What the hell is he doing here?" Fury demanded with a rough and angry voice.

Loki shied away from the many weapons and hid himself behind Thor's cloak. It earned him a few frowns from the Avengers, though none lowered their weapons.

"It is all right, my friends," Thor assured them. He placed his hammer on the ground and raised his hands as to show that he – nor Loki – was currently posing a threat, "my brother is harmless."

Tony could not stop himself then. "Tell that to my wrecked lab!"

**AN: So what do you think?**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Marvel-characters!**

**AN: 16 reviews! **_**16**_**! I have 49 for all three chapters! Do you know how utterly happy that makes me? Getting your feedback and reading your enthusiasm and ideas keeps inspiring me to no end! Chapter 3 was difficult for me to write, but this chapter went better because I knew you guys were still with me and I certainly didn't want to disappoint. So again, thanks a million times!**

**There is another important AN at the bottom! **

**~ The Opposites ~**

**Chapter 4**

It had been ridiculously easy for Loki to find a new possible target. He had spent enough time on earth before to know how it worked. He knew the Avengers weren't the only superheroes on the planet and he certainly wasn't the only villain. Loki grinned at that thought. Before, he had never really thought himself to be villainous, to be _evil_. When he had tried to subjugate Midgard, he had tried to make this a better, more peaceful realm. Was that not a commendable cause?

Loki snarled at that thought. He had been foolish and naïve back then. Now he had a whole new incentive.

But in order to achieve his newfound goal, he needed a plan. He needed a _better_ plan. Dividing the Avengers wasn't enough to get what he wanted. Having an army wasn't enough. Then again, Loki doubted he would need an army to achieve his new goal. It could be handy though.

So he had plotted and planned and now he knew what direction to take. In fact, it was a ridiculously easy strategy. He had been amazed by his own ingenuity.

Loki had broken into the fortress with much ease. It was located in upstate New York which was actually quite handy since he had been in New York since his arrival. He'd done enough research to know which traps would be laid out for him. Not specifically for _him_, but for any intruder. Loki had to admit that the crocodiles were a nice touch.

It had cost him no effort to get past the beasts. He was Loki, after all, a god! No trap could keep him away. The inside of the fortress was dark and cold. There was barely any sign of life, but he knew Doctor Doom was currently present. In fact, he had just tried to capture his archenemies – the so-called Fantastic Four – but his plan had failed horribly and he had been forced to retreat.

Candles and torches lite the way and Loki strode purposely and confidently through the halls. He was met with little resistance and when he did encounter one of the famous Doombots, he easily cut it down with one of his daggers.

He found Doctor Doom sitting in the main library before a burning grate-fire. It made the large room warm, but Loki had never been much for warmth. His entire life, he had preferred the stinging cold. It had never made sense – most Asgardians preferred smoldering hot summers – but Loki had understood ever since he'd learned of his heritage.

"I didn't expect a visitor," Doom said as he turned his back to the fire. Where his face should be, he had an iron mask. It would be impressive and frightening to any other human on this damned planet, but Loki was unmoved. "I feel congratulations are in order. No one has ever managed to invade my fortress before."

"Yes," Loki replied steadily, "you shouldn't assume that none can get passed your crocodiles or other traps."

"I know you," Doom suddenly sounded surprised, "you are the one that tried to subjugate my planet. You are also the one that failed miserably, but I must admit that you had this town nearly completely destroyed. That's almost admirable. _Almost_."

"I had a good ally last time," Loki said, keeping his voice smooth. He made sure that his face remained neutral, except for the faintest hint of persistency in his eyes. "But the Titan knew nothing of this planet, nor of its inhabitants. That was my downfall. If we were to join forces, then we would succeed without doubt."

There was a dead moment.

Doom began to laugh. "Ha!" His face would have shown utter amusement was it not for the ugly mask. "Hahahaha! Why would _I _join forces with _you_? I can offer so much, but I fear you have very little to offer in return."

Loki respectfully inclined his head. Now was the time to play Doctor Doom perfectly. Every word he said and every act he undertook was important. "You have indeed much to offer. You have great intellect and impressive magic I have heard."

Doom said nothing in return. Loki could see the villain narrow his eyes through the small gaps of his mask. He continued, "You have your own army, your own land. You are a King!"

"That I am," Doom said smugly.

"But you are burdened with the Fantastic Four," Loki added, making his voice sound sour when he spoke the name of Doom's enemies, "and I can help you with that. I have an army as well."

"I thought your army – what were they called, the Chitauri? – had been destroyed by the Avengers," Doom countered, still very cautious about everything Loki said.

"A part of it, yes," Loki sighed, "but there is more where they came from and they are furious with this world. They are making their way towards us as we speak. They'll arrive in a few days. By that time, we can be the most feared allies in this realm. Together, we can be unstoppable."

There was no way to tell what Doom was thinking of this –damn that mask – but his silence told Loki that he was considering his offer. Finally, Doom spoke and there was actual excitement in his voice. "So you help me defeat the Fantastic Four and I in return help you defeat the Avengers?"

"Yes, by the time we have succeeded in that, the Chitauri will be here," Loki explained, "and we can subjugate this planet and give it the leader it deserves."

"Ah," Doom said gravely, "but then we reach a new problem. Who will be King?"

"You, of course," Loki said without doubt, "you already _are_ a King. I can be your…prime minister, your parliament and your court. That is enough power for me."

Doom nodded. "Then we have an alliance."

Loki grinned. How easily this man had fallen into his trap!

~ o ~

Every Avengers – with the exception of Thor – sitting at the large, oval table was either staring or actually glaring at the still form of Loki. It was as if the trickster assumed that the less he moved, the less his presence would be noticed. It was awfully quiet in the room and Thor was beginning to doubt his fellow Avengers had understood his story. He had to admit, it had sounded complicated and even ridiculous at times.

"So what you are saying," began Fury in his usual skeptical and rough voice, "is that your father tried to extract your brother's magic, but in doing so created _two_ Loki's."

Thor nodded his head once.

"One that's absolutely evil," Tony continued, narrowing his eyes as he kept looking at Loki sitting beside Thor, "and one that is…nice."

"I doubt the other Loki will come off as completely evil," Thor said, "he is cunning and very intelligent. He won't be foolish enough to simply go on a rampage."

"Great," Clint muttered.

"Wait, wait," Steve interjected, "that doesn't explain why you brought back this Loki."

Thor could sense his brother growing tenser as every minute passed. "He will help us find his counterpart."

"Because he is suddenly good and all," Natasha said harshly. She was leaning with both her elbows on the table, but Thor knew the warrior-woman enough to understand that she could reach for her gun within a second. "I just don't get why you're expecting us to trust this Loki."

"I'm not asking that of you," Thor argued, "but you have to understand that we need his help. He is one side of a coin and his counterpart is the other side. This Loki here-" he shot his brother an apologetic look, feeling guilty that he was putting him through this, "-is everything that is good about my brother. He is kind, compassionate and loyal."

"I find that difficult to believe," Clint sneered.

"But-" Thor diplomatically ignored Clint's comment, "that doesn't mean he doesn't understand what pain and anger is. He knows his double ganger like no other and he might be able to predict a few of his moves."

Thor felt bad that he talked about Loki in this way. It made it appear as if Loki was not even there while he was indeed sitting right next to him. Again, he shot his little brother an apologetic glance.

"Great!" Tony put on a broad, possibly fake smile. Thor wasn't sure. "Predict us some moves, Loki."

It was the first time that Loki was actually addressed in this entire conversation. His light green eyes instantly grew wide and inhaled sharply. "I…" He seemed unable to utter another word and Thor felt slightly embarrassed in his stead.

"Don't be ridiculous, Stark," Thor said.

"I'm just saying that this is very disappointing," Tony pointed out.

"Let's focus here, people," Fury intervened.

"He hates you," Loki suddenly spoke. He straightened his back, swallowed down his fear – it was extremely intimidating to be the center of attention here – and faced the Avengers head on. "I suppose that's not the right way to say it since he is me. It's very confusing for you, but it's even more confusing for me. All I want to do is apologize and ask for forgiveness, but I have a link to the other Loki. That one completely and utterly _hates_ all of you."

Tony had grown silent. _Everyone_ had grown silent. They were all looking at Loki with doubt in their eyes. It was clear they didn't like what they were hearing and they partially didn't want to believe it either. But none argued.

"He doesn't feel alone or abandoned," Loki continued in a soft voice. It mesmerized the others. "He doesn't feel misunderstood. He just…_craves_ something deep down. He craves power because he feels he deserves it. He feels he has always stood in Thor's shadow and now he simply has had enough of it."

You could hear a needle drop in the room whenever Loki paused a moment.

"So he'll plot and manipulate," Loki looked at every face in the room, "because that is what he – I – am good at. He won't attack you straight ahead, not without some sort of back-up. Last time he had an army – _I_ had an army, but the Chitauri are all dead. He'll look for new power, perhaps a new ally."

"Then what?" Thor asked softly.

Loki turned to look at his brother, his gaze intense. "He'll come for you and he'll make you pay."

There was another heavy silence.

"Well," Tony was the first to crack, "sounds just lovely. Has anyone mentioned before that you have a lovely personality?"

"Be careful, Stark," Thor said through gritted teeth, "you are still speaking to my brother."

"This time we are ready," Fury said, ignoring the bitter bickering between Thor and Tony, "thanks to Loki here-" The director clearly disliked thanking a known enemy of earth. "-we have a rough idea of what his counterpart will do. We should alert our allies so that they can keep an eye open for any irregularities."

"I can try and trace that scepter of his," Bruce offered, "Tony and I have been studying it for weeks and it resembles the radiation the Tesseract emits. You can't completely hide that."

"How long will it take to trace it?" Steve asked.

Bruce shrugged. "A few days maybe."

"Then you better get started," Fury ordered.

~ o ~

Tony and Bruce couldn't believe that they were at this again. Only months ago, they had been trying to trace the gamma radiation of the Tesseract when normal Loki – it felt weird calling him 'normal' – had arrived at the SHIELD-base and stolen the power source. In fact, this all seemed like one giant repeat. Normal Loki stole the Tesseract? Evil Loki stole his scepter. Thor came to earth to stop normal Loki? Thor comes to earth to stop evil Loki. Only this time he had brought a good Loki with him.

Tony was amazed that they all still had their minds at this point.

"So, who would have thought," he asked when turning to look at Bruce, "that we would be fighting Loki again so soon?"

"I know, I still can't wrap my mind around it," Bruce replied without raising his gaze. He was entirely focused on some numbers displayed on a computer screen. "It feels a bit weird actually," he did look up now, "knowing that there is a Loki downstairs, _not_ in a cell created for my other guy."

Tony kept ticking his pen against the palm of his hand. "In some ways, he looks like you now. You are a good guy, but sometimes the green one just needs to come out and play. Loki's green guy came out, too."

Bruce snorted. "I am nothing like Loki. The Hulk is beyond my control and he isn't evil."

"True," Tony nodded, "very true, but the Hulk is an incontrollable force that can destroy anything. I bet that if you let evil Loki be, he would destroy everything as well."

"Yeah," Bruce sighed, "with us at the top of his list."

"It was creepy right," Tony said, deep in thought, "when good guy Loki began to explain what bad guy Loki was feeling? He was so calm and collected when he explained, but there was this fraction of a second that…" Tony didn't know how he could explain it properly. This might just be his paranoia playing out.

"I know what you're trying to say," Bruce said severely, "it was in his eyes. For a moment, I thought I saw bad guy Loki in them."

"Exactly!" Tony felt relieved that he wasn't alone in thinking this.

A new voice spoke, startling both Tony and Bruce. They swirled around to look at the Captain. "It's what to be expected," Steve said.

"It is?" Bruce asked, not able to follow Steve's logic.

Steve nodded. "The other Loki is evil and the one downstairs is, for all intents and purposes, pure. He feels no anger or hatred. He doesn't even dislike us. At the table during the meeting, he just looked scared because fear in itself isn't a bad emotion. It's what keeps us on our toes, what helps us survive."

"I get that," Tony replied, "but I still don't understand why you think it's logical that we saw darkness is pure Loki's eyes. And that is one of the weirdest sentences I have ever said."

"Fear might not be a bad emotion, but it can lead to bad things," Steve clarified, staying completely serious, "and all things pure can be corrupted. The purer something is the easier that will happen."

"So what you're saying," Bruce summarized, "is that pure Loki won't always remain pure."

"Yes," Steve said almost regrettably, "that's exactly what I'm saying. We might even end up fighting two Loki's."

And that was something that frightened them more than anything.

**AN: ****I would just want to point out that this story is kind of a crossover between Thor and the Avengers, but it won't be a crossover with Fantastic Four even though Doctor Doom has made an appearance. I hope you don't mind me using a little bit of Doom in this story…**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Marvel-characters!**

**AN: I bring a new chapter! I hope it will be liked. Thanks to everyone that reviewed the previous chapter. I love getting feedback from you guys. It makes me write better and faster. Now read on and enjoy.**

**~ The Opposites ~**

**Chapter 5**

There was a moment where Loki began to think that the Avengers found him stupid. They were obviously talking about him, but whenever he entered the room, all conversation suddenly died away. They even stared at him at times, but when Loki turned to stare back, they quickly lowered their gazes, coughed or pretended to sneeze. It was Stark who did that last option, making it overly loud and overly dramatic. He even knocked over a chair once to make it more believable. Loki had only raised an eyebrow before exiting the room.

He'd contemplated on commenting on it, but he'd decided against it. For some reason he didn't want to cause any trouble and he didn't want to waste their time. Still, he was fully aware of his own situation. He knew he wasn't himself and he knew there was another version of him out there. He might have agreed to help them find him, but that didn't mean they should take his help for granted.

Should it?

At times, Loki felt compelled to tap into the link he shared with his counterpart. He didn't know why. He just wanted to feel what the other Loki was feeling. Perhaps he was hoping he would recognize something. A certain emotion? Sometimes he just searched for some common ground. If that would be the case, then he would know they were the same person deep down.

So far he had no such luck. He could feel the other Loki rage inwardly, he could feel his hatred. He was painfully reminded that this was a part of him. He didn't want to experience all that, but he would still be forced to be part of that destructive darkness again. Odin would put them together and rectify this mistake. Loki wouldn't feel guilt anymore. Not to this extend. He wouldn't feel empathy towards his brother and he wouldn't be compassionate anymore because that would become buried underneath an all-consuming evilness.

It frightened him and simply thinking about it made his hands tremble. He lifted them, stared at them for a few minutes and made them into hard fists. The trembling diminished, but it was still visible.

The door opened behind him and he spun around. It was Clint Barton that entered and Loki greeted him by inclining his head. It was a minor, but respectful motion. However, Clint came to a complete halt and stared at him, his eyes slightly narrowed and his lips a thin, white line. He clearly hadn't expected to run into Loki at this point.

Loki remembered every detail he had put that man through. He had taken over his mind and forced him to undertake actions he would otherwise never do. He knew for a fact that Clint had fought with his closest friend for him. It made Loki wonder whether Natasha told the archer about their conversation in the glass cell. Surely she would have informed him. It was safe to say that Loki was not the archer's best pal.

"I am sorry," he said, his throat dry, "for what I have put you through."

Clint scoffed. "I can't believe you're actually doing this," he said, astonished, "what makes you think I would accept your apology?"

Loki had no answer for that.

"What makes you think I want to _hear_ your apology?"

Loki inhaled deeply and began to fiddle with his hands. He just didn't know what to do with them, nor did he know what he could say to Clint. He decided he had to say _something_ at least. He had to make him understand that he was sincere. "I know that what I have done is unacceptable," he said softly, "I understand that. I caused you pain and suffering. I would take it back if I could-"

"I'm going to stop you right there," Clint interjected, anger clearly visible in his eyes, "because you don't mean a word that comes from your mouth."

"I do."

"No, you don't." Clint stepped forward, his entire body posture hostile. "And do you know why?"

Loki shook his head.

"Because you're not even real," Clint explained, his voice low, "you're a distortion of your true self. You're not even that. You don't exist."

"I am here now," Loki objected, "I am talking to you, am I not? That means I am real. I do exist."

"For now," Clint said, "but we're going to find your counterpart and your daddy is going to put you two together again. You'll be gone, you'll be swallowed by that dark version of yourself because you and I both know that he's the strongest. So you're telling me that you're sorry, but you'll return to your normal self and suddenly you wouldn't hesitate to use or kill me."

Loki thought about that. He had trouble remembering his 'normal' self. Would that Loki kill this man if he had the chance? Would he even hesitate? The truth was that Loki didn't know. He would never murder Clint. He wouldn't even dream of harming him. Then he remembered his counterpart and he knew that evil Loki would stab Clint in the back as soon as he had the chance.

"So I don't want your apology," Clint concluded, "I don't even want to hear it. You're acting all hurt, but not even that is real. I just can't wait until this mess has been fixed and you're gone again."

Clint spun around and strode from the room, leaving a wordless Loki behind.

The archer was right. Loki would return to Asgard, he would become 'himself' again and he would be locked behind bars. It was only fair that he was punished for his crimes. He wasn't even afraid to admit that his punishment was fairly light considering the nature of his crimes. Still, he dreaded to be joined with his counterpart again because he knew that he wouldn't feel like this anymore.

As Clint had said; the other one was stronger than him. _Much_ stronger.

~ o ~

Doctor Doom was possibly Loki's easiest target by far. He didn't know whether it was because the mortal was simply stupid or because he was just brilliant. Since he had been separated from his weakening emotions, he had been seeing things more clearly. He could see the flaws of others better and he could definitely exploit them better.

But Loki shouldn't give himself all the credit here. It should be said that Doctor Doom would even walk into a trap if there was an actual giant sign reading 'trap set by Loki'. Honestly, all Loki had to do was shower the man with compliments, make himself appear weaker and Doctor Doom was eating out of his hand.

So now they were at a major bank of New York City, the petty humans all cowering behind bars and other objects large enough to offer shelter. They shielded their head with their arms and some even cried. Loki would have shut them up using magic or simple force, but he needed to keep his attention focused on Doctor Doom. The masked man let his gaze slide across every scared face in the room.

"Are you certain this will work, Loki?" Doom asked, doubt in his voice. "I don't understand why we had to target a bank."

"Oh, this will work. We need to draw enough attention," Loki replied sweetly, "the Fantastic Four will be here momentarily."

Doom turned to look at his ally, his eyes already shining with victory. "Then together we can fight them and get rid of them once and for all."

"It will be easy," Loki agreed.

Out of nowhere, Loki could feel a painful stab to his heart. He was strong enough not to reveal anything to his temporary pet, but he was discomforted greatly. He turned away from Doom and swallowed heavily, forcing the pain to go away. He hated the fact that he still had a psychic link with his counterpart somehow. He could feel what the other Loki was feeling at times and right now, that Loki was frightened. He truly was pathetic and Loki couldn't believe he used to be part of him.

He could be so much greater without him!

"Loki, what are you doing?" Doom asked.

"Nothing," Loki replied instantly, not even thinking about his answer. He glanced up at a large clock that hung above one of the many desks. It indicated that it was time so Loki turned back to face Doom and used his most effective spell. He sent the pathetic villain flying backwards and made sure that he couldn't move anymore.

The many mortals around them gasped and shrieked as they tried to make themselves even smaller. Loki paid them no attention. He walked forward, his steps calm and collected. He was a predator stalking his prey.

"What is this?" Doom hissed.

Loki smiled. Again, everything went much better than expected. He had overestimated Doom's powers once again. Or perhaps he had underestimated his own. No, that couldn't be. Loki was fully aware of his own powers. The easiness he experienced was definitely because Doom was nothing compared to him.

"You should learn not to trust a man that invades your home and offers you an alliance," he taunted, "and you should watch the news more closely. Last time I came to this planet, I intended to rule it. Did you truly think I would allow you to become king of this world?"

"You tricked me," Doom spat, "you manipulated me. I'll murder you for this. You have crossed the wrong guy, Loki."

"Why are you so surprised?" Loki laughed. "Have you not heard who I am? I am Loki Laufeyson, the trickster, and I am the God of Mischief and lies. I am the God of evil."

Doom inhaled sharply. He tried to move, but Loki had a firm grip on the spell he cast. The only thing Doom managed to move was his head and that had been a kindness by Loki. Doom growled when he failed at his attempts of breaking free of Loki's spell. Loki stalked forward and eventually kneeled down beside Doom.

"I can feel you struggling against my spell," he said, "I know you have magic yourself, but it is nothing compared to mine."

"What do you want?" Irritation as well as embarrassment lay in Doom's voice. He had probably never been defeated so easily before. This was good. Loki wanted Doom to know there was a new player in town. A bigger and better one. "What are you planning?"

"What I have told you," Loki began, greatly enjoying himself, "were mostly lies. You do not deserve to be king of this world. You do not have great intellect, nor do you have impressive magic, but I have already proven that I am far more superior to you. I also don't have an army coming."

Doom stayed silent. Loki knew Doom would be frowning if he still could.

"The Chitauri are all dead," Loki continued with venom in his voice. The memories of his first defeat still lay freshly in his mind. "Stark made sure of that. They were my army and they should have brought me victory. However, it turned out they were weak so here I am, finding myself without an army. But I know I need one if I ever hope to destroy the Avengers once and for all."

Doom was obviously confused.

"I hear you have strong, yet influential robots," Loki enjoyed seeing Doom's shock, "what do you call them? Doombots? I did some research on them and I hear you are the only person in this world that can control them. I also hear that if you do not give them any specific orders when you are around, they become ineffective."

"That is right," Doom said, still sounding surprisingly strong, "you cannot control them. I am the only one they will listen to."

"That is where my magic comes in," Loki placed a hand on the side of Doom's masked face, "I will play with your connection to them. I can alter it and take full control over your doombots. There aren't that many of them, but they should suffice for my plan."

Doom snarled. "And what is that?"

"Why would I tell you?" Loki shook his head. "I cannot have you reveal my plans to the Fantastic Four."

"What?"

"Oh, they are coming!" Loki sounded delighted. "I informed them of our little outing. I told them they would find a gift. They should be here any moment and I'm afraid they'll only find you. I can't have you walk around, thirsting for my blood, now can I? I'll have no time to deal with your vengeance." Loki placed a second hand on Doom's masked face. "So sit still-" he winked at Doom who turned white with rage, "and let me work my magic."

It was complicated to be inside Doom's head and Loki needed all of his concentration to succeed in this part of the plan. He managed to manipulate Doom's connection to the doombots and successfully made himself their master. He then completely cut off Doom's link to them.

"There," Loki sounded extremely pleased, "all done. Was that so hard?"

Doom growled and tried to move his hands and feet again, but still failed. Loki could see the muscles growing tense and he merely laughed at the pathetic attempt. He stood, straightened the folds out of his battle-shirt and began to walk away. The mortals around him quickly lowered their gazes as he walked by them. Loki rather enjoyed this.

"You will fail," Doom shouted, "you will fail horribly and then wish you had not crossed me so!"

Loki glanced over his shoulder. "If the Avengers are as pathetic and easy as you are, then I'll have what I want within a few days. In the meantime-" Loki looked outside and noticed the immense police-presence as well as four mortals dressed in ridiculous black and blue costumes. One of those four had skin like stone. Then Loki's eyes fell on another and he couldn't help but be reminded of Captain America. He chuckled. "Enjoy your stay with the Fantastic Four, Doctor Doom."

Then he cast another spell and teleported himself away from this place. He had what he wanted so it was time to begin phase two of his plan.


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Marvel-characters!**

**AN: With 'Shadows and Regrets' done, I feel like I can completely focus on this story again. I made a conscious decision not to upload this story for a few days. Thanks for the reviews on chapter 5. It's amazing to read your support, thoughts and ideas.**

**So it has been a few days since I posted a chapter here… I hope you guys are still interested in this one…**

**~ The Opposites ~**

**Chapter 6**

"Heads up everyone!" Fury came bursting into the main living room at the top of Stark Tower. In his right hand, he held a thick file.

The Avengers and Loki were seated on three large couches. It was early in the afternoon and Tony and Bruce had been telling the others of the progress they had made so far. Or the lack of really. Trying to locate Loki's scepter was proving to be difficult. They knew it gave off little gamma-radiation, but apparently the other Loki had managed to hide that extraordinarily well.

It was frustrating.

"I just received a call from our friends at Four Freedom's Plaza," Fury said. He went to stand at the center of the room so that he had a good view on each of his agents - and Loki. Fury gave the trickster an odd look like he still wondered what he was doing there.

"You've got to admit that my name has a better ring to it," Tony noted amusingly. He took a sip from his coffee. "Stark Tower is short and powerful unlike Four-"

"Shut up, Stark," Fury barked. It was unlike the Director to lose his temper like that, but he did not apologize when Tony looked offended. "The Fantastic Four managed to capture Doctor Doom yesterday. Normally, this would call for celebration, but I'm afraid that is out of the question."

Steve straightened his back and leaned his elbows on his knees. "What happened?"

"Other Loki practically handed Doom to the Fantastic Four," Fury explained with a sigh, "and apparently, he has seized control over his doombots. There aren't that many of them, but we know they have caused much damage before. It's safe to say that other Loki is planning something big."

Thor threw the quiet Loki sitting next to him a glance, but then quickly refocused on the Director.

"We have to multiply security everywhere," Tony suggested, his amusement already gone, "I have seen some of these doombots. They are magnificent, but deadly. I always wished I could get my hands on one."

"That's exactly what I am planning," Fury said. He opened the file and spread out a few papers on a low table before the three couches. It showed a collection of buildings and transportation modes. "I have doubled security at airports, seaports, subways, intercity rails and bus stations. I have also sent agents to the main hospitals and other large public buildings like the library, markets and other highly visited buildings by tourists."

Steve raised an eyebrow. "Will that be enough?"

"If we knew where Loki would strike, we could organize some sort of counter-attack," Fury was clearly irritated, probably feeling powerless, "then we could prepare better, but right now the heightened security will have to be enough."

"You've not been _listening_."

Every pair of eyes suddenly turned towards Loki. For a moment, he seemed to shrink away, never enjoying the attention he had when he spoke, but he faced the Avengers head on and refused to avert his gaze. He did not want to be the weaker version of himself. He wanted to be confident like the other one, he wanted to prove himself.

Loki couldn't help but look at Clint.

"What do you mean?" Thor asked.

"I already explained to you that this time, my counterpart doesn't want public destruction or complete chaos." Loki licked his lips, his throat suddenly feeling very dry. He briefly wondered how his other version was so confident. "It's personal this time. He will come after you and everything you hold dear."

Natasha and Clint exchanged a short, meaningful glance.

"I say; let him come!" Tony said.

"No," Natasha countered, "Tony, I don't think you understand what Loki is trying to tell us."

Tony frowned.

"I don't think my counterpart wants to kill you." Loki directed the words at Tony Stark, but he meant them for everyone. It was important that they fully understood the consequences of other Loki's actions and of his motives. "Death would be too kind. He wants to break you, watch all of you crumble beneath his touch."

"And how will he do that?" Bruce asked.

"He'll go after the one thing you love most," Loki answered, his voice surprisingly even. The thought scared him because he did not want to see the men and woman sitting around him getting hurt like this. He had already caused them so much pain and distress and now they were in for something far worse.

Steve began to shake his head. "How can he know what we love most? How can _you_ know? You don't know us."

"Yes, he does," Clint answered in Loki's stead. His brown eyes were entirely fixed on the twisted version of the trickster. They held a strange sadness. "When I was under Loki's control - during the first time he attacked - I told him everything he wanted to know. I am sorry."

"Don't be," Natasha said quietly, taking Clint's hand into her own and squeezing it reassuringly, "this isn't your fault."

Clint smiled at her.

"I suppose we should move some of our security then," Fury concluded as he collected the papers and placed them back in his file, "I will order my best men to protect your friends and family."

The Avengers all nodded, worry clearly visible in their eyes.

"If you're not too late," Loki added almost as an afterthought.

None wanted to think about that option.

~ o ~

Loki did not like this outfit at all. It was itching and so…_dull_. He had worn it twice before. Once when he had visited his so-called brother when he had been stripped of his powers and arrested by SHIELD and once when he had crashed a fancy human party. He'd been lucky there wasn't any blood visible on his vest. Stealing someone's eye was a dirty business.

Still, he had no other choice if he wanted to blend in with the crowd around him. Even now some men were throwing him suspicious glances. They faintly recognized him from the time he had tried to subjugate them, but they all seemed to dismiss him in the end. Some even looked like they thought they were crazy. It was for the best. Loki was not in the mood to murder a few mortals who bothered him.

He had been waiting for a while now and he grew bored. He was starting to think of schemes to keep himself occupied, but they all involved blowing up buildings or torturing small animals in front of small children. They were all good schemes, but he had no time for any of them.

And then she appeared. Loki grinned profoundly and began to walk towards her. She did not notice him at all. Her soft red hair was pulled back into a tight ponytail and her lips had a matching soft, red color. She was dressed in a feminine suit and the high heels of her shoes clacked loudly against the asphalt.

Pepper Pots was a beautiful woman and Loki understood what Tony Stark saw in her. She was also a busy woman with a briefcase in one hand and a phone in the other. She was currently typing away on it before she was greeted by a large, broad man. That must be Happy Hogan, Stark's personal assistant and chauffeur who currently spend more time with Pepper than with Tony himself.

Happy opened the door of a SUV and Pepper got in. The man walked around the car and took a seat himself behind the driving wheel. Loki knew it was now or never. Without hesitating, he opened the other door of the SUV and got in himself. When Pepper's eyes fell on him, she clearly recognized him. She instantly reached for her briefcase and intended to throw it at his face.

Loki easily ripped the briefcase from her hands and smacked it right back on her head. The woman shrieked before losing consciousness. Before him, Happy had reached for a small handgun to defend himself and Pepper, but Loki had anticipated that. He threw the same briefcase directly at Happy's face and the chauffeur had no choice but to duck. Loki used the opportunity to knock him out using a simple spell.

Happy would not wake any time soon. And he certainly wouldn't be happy.

Loki chuckled. He felt incredibly pleased about the entire situation. He straightened his vest before taking hold of Pepper's arms. He was not being very gentle with her and he knew she would sport a bruise in a few hours…

…If she still lived in a few hours.

Another quick, more powerful spell and Loki transported them away from the SUV.

Part one of phase two had officially begun.

~ o ~

Loki knew he was not the only one feeling uncomfortable at the moment. Fury had just left with the new information and now planned on moving the security towards their family and friends. They all felt relieved that they had some anticipation to other Loki's plans, but the waiting was nearly unbearable.

It felt like they were waiting for a bomb to drop.

Finally, someone broke the silence. "Is there anything else you could tell us about your counterpart?" Steve asked, looking at Loki who at first didn't realize the question had been directed at him.

Loki inhaled deeply. "I'm afraid not. I wish I could be of more help, but-"

"You already helped us more than I thought possible," Tony interjected. He winked friendly. Loki had no clue how to react to that. "Seriously, I didn't think you would be of any use, but you're doing great, Loki."

Loki prayed that his cheeks did not turn red at that point. He simply wasn't used to receiving a compliment. Certainly not by someone who used to be his archenemy. Again, he felt incredibly guilty. The Avengers were all put in this awful situation because of him and he wished he could do something. Anything!

"Tony is right," Clint said, almost regretting his words instantly, "if it wasn't for you, we would have protected the wrong places and people." Then he added, "If what you're saying is actually true."

"I'd ask you to trust me," Loki said, "but I know that is too much to ask of you all. I can try and connect to the other Loki again. I can try and feel what he is feeling right now. Maybe I'll be able to deduce something out of it."

Thor placed a hand on his brother's shoulder. "You do not have to if you do not want to."

"But I want to, Thor," Loki assured him with a smile.

He closed his eyes and focused the next moment. It wasn't always easy to connect with his counterpart. He had learned a while ago that the other Loki was aware of their connection and since then, the link had grown weaker. Other Loki was clearly trying to shield himself away from him, but Loki dug deeper and stubbornly clung onto the faintest thread he could find.

When the connection was established, he could feel a sea of emotions. For a moment, he felt like drowning, but Loki steadied himself and kept his head above the metaphorical water. It was strange this time. It was unlike anything he had felt before-

-and then the connection broke.

Loki opened his eyes and sucked in a sharp breath.

"And?" Bruce asked with wide eyes filled with expectation.

"He is…" Loki frowned, unsure whether he had felt that right. "He is pleased. _Very_ pleased. I do not trust this at all."

Before Loki could explain any further, JARVIS – Tony Stark's house computer – announced, "Sir, there is an incoming call from Miss Pepper."

Tony shot Loki an apologetic look as he disrupted him. "Let's hear it, JARVIS," he said as he leaned back into his couch. There was a short moment of silence followed by a soft beep. It made it clear that a connection had been made. "Pepper, if this is another attempt at getting me to join a board meeting, then I'm going to have to disappoint you."

Silence followed by a sob. "…Tony?"

Pepper's voice sounded utterly distressed and more sobs came through.

Tony instantly tensed – as did everyone else in the room. "Pepper? What's going on?"

Something could be heard on the other end of the line, a sort of rustling. It appeared to be Pepper's cellphone being moved. Her sobs became muffled somehow, nearly inaudible. Tony looked absolutely frantic as he jumped from the couch and began to pace the floor.

The others rose from their seats as well, not knowing what was going on – although there was a little voice in the back of their heads that told them this was other Loki's doing. Then they remembered their Loki telling them his counterpart was pleased. It all added to something mysteriously bad.

They were quickly proven right when Loki's voice sounded next.

"Hello, Mr. Stark," he sounded absolutely amused. It was an awful thing to hear. "As you now know, I have your beloved Ms. Pepper Pots here with me. I was told she is the yin to your yang, absolutely indispensable to both you and your company."

"What have you done to her?" Tony all but shouted.

"Oh, I haven't done anything to her," Loki replied calmly. Only Thor and the other Loki had an idea of the expression that man now held on his face. It was be a menacing grin with a twinkle to his eyes as he marveled in Tony and Pepper's distress. "Although you'll have to ignore the bump on her head, that one is completely on me. She is feisty this one. But I am not planning on hurting her anymore."

Tony's breathing became erratic and he brought a shaking hand through his already messy hair. "What do you want?" He asked through gritted teeth.

"I want you-" Loki explained, articulating every word ever so carefully, "-to run like you've never run before. You have exactly three minutes to trace this call and find the love of your life, the yin to your yang, or else…"

Tony looked completely desperate. His eyes shone with tears. It was a never before seen sight by the other Avengers – and Loki.

"Or else what?"

"Well, I said I wasn't going to hurt her," Loki continued. You could hear delight in his voice. "But there is a doombot with Ms. Pots here and if those three minutes are gone and you are not here, then I am afraid he will kill her without hesitating. I shall put Pepper on the phone again and then your time starts running."

There was a short pause.

"Oh, and beware, Stark," Loki said ominously, "it cannot be pleasant to _hear_ your love being killed on the phone. If you can't find her in time, I suggest you disconnect the call. I don't want the last thing you hear of her to be her screams."

Tony was already hurrying towards a far wall of the room. With one push on a certain tile, his handprint was scanned and a second later, his iron suit was revealed.

"Pepper?" He asked as he prepared to put on the suit.

"I'm here," Pepper cried softly, "Loki is gone. He left me with this doombot. It's not moving or anything. It just stands there. I'm locked in a room, Tony, but here is no way of telling where I am. There aren't any windows and I can't hear anything!" The more she spoke, the more panic seeped through her every word.

"JARVIS, trace that call!" Tony's voice sounded unnaturally high. A big scowl was plastered on his face.

The other Avengers could only watch in shock. They all stood there, staring as they watched their friend scramble to make the best out of every second. Three minutes was _not_ long.

"The trace has already been initiated," JARVIS explained, "it requires another thirty seconds."

"I don't have thirty seconds," Tony growled as the final piece of his suit clicked into place. Only his face was still visible.

"We'll go downstairs," Bruce said uncertain, "as soon as you have a location, let us know and we'll be coming towards you." You could tell that most felt very unfortunate they could not fly right now. Thor was able to do so, but he doubted he would be able to keep up with Tony at this moment. Besides, he did not know the city that well. An address meant very little to him.

"Fine, whatever," Tony said, almost dismissing the help of his friends, "I'm going out there. I have to save her!"

"She's not going to die," Steve assured his friend, "she's strong, Tony, and she has always been a survivor."

Tony opened a window before turning to look at his friends. The zooming of loading weapons could be heard. "But she's never been in the hands of a madman."

The Iron Man glanced at Loki, his gaze an open book. It told the trickster that Tony did not want to blame him, but that he did so anyway. If anything were to happen to Pepper, it would still be his fault. Tony pushed down his mask at that moment and took off with a blast -not knowing where yet. He could only hope he'd be able to save Pepper in time.


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Marvel-characters!**

**AN: Thanks for the support, guys! I'm glad you're still interested in this story. To Lady Charity: I got the inspiration for the physic link from that. I thought it was a nice touch. :) To Hexalys: it's like you're in my mind! Though you don't have it completely right. I think you'll understand in a few chapters. :)**

**~ The Opposites ~**

**Chapter 7**

Pepper stared at the doombot. It was it utterly creepy and scary, not did it move or even appear to be breathing. Did a doombot even breathe in the first place? Either way, it just stood there like a statue not carved out of stone, but out of metal. Slowly – and ever so cautious – she took a step towards it. She wasn't sure what she'd expected. Perhaps she thought it would have come to life suddenly to block her path?

When nothing happened, Pepper made a desperate run for the door. Reaching for the handle, she pulled it with all the strength she possessed, but nothing happened. The door simply would not budge. Breathlessly, she spun around and allowed herself to lean back against the wall. Her eyes became fixed on the doombot again since she knew she couldn't trust it.

"Tony?" She breathed into the phone. Her hands felt clammy and for a moment she feared she would drop the phone. Her grip tightened on the small device. "Tony, are you still there?"

"I'm here, Pepper," Tony assured her. She could hear by the noise in the background that Tony was currently Iron Man and that he was flying through the air. "I wouldn't dare to abandon you now."

Pepper glanced at the small screen of the phone. It was the only indication of time she had right now. "Tony, we've been on calling for over two minutes already. Time is running out."

"I know where you are, Pepper," Tony said, his voice strain, "I'll be there. I'll save you!"

Pepper swallowed heavily. Tears rolled down her cheeks and she angrily wiped them away. She had never been the kind of woman to break down like this. She had faced worse, hadn't she? _Had she_? Her mind came up empty, but then again, she was greatly confused and panicked right now.

She forced herself to take in a deep breath. It calmed her, but only a bit. "Tony?"

"Yes?"

"You know I love you, right?" She said the words ever so softly. She meant them and she wished she had said them more often.

"I love you, too," Tony said, "and I will tell you again tomorrow and every day that comes after it. You're going to be fine, alright? You have to believe me on this one."

Pepper nodded and then remembered that Tony could not actually see her. "I believe you."

The doombot suddenly turned towards her and Pepper felt her heart skip a beat. Her breathing quickened and her hands began to tremble violently. She lost grip on the damn phone, but as it hit the ground, she could see that it was not broken.

"Tony, it's moving," she yelled, knowing that Tony could still hear her, "the doombot is moving! It's coming towards me!"

"I'm almost there!"

She tried to make herself as small as possible. She wished she could disappear through the wall, but that was impossible. The doombot reached for her throat and she tried to push away the metallic hand. It was pointless. The doombot tightened his grip on her throat, cutting off her air supply. She tried to cry out for Tony, but not sound escaped her lips.

The doombot lifted her from the ground and knocked her against the wall several times.

Pepper lost consciousness just before Iron Man came blasting through the door.

~ o ~

Tony was absolutely furious and he knew that if he didn't control himself soon, he would bring down the entire abandoned warehouse with him and Pepper still inside. It was important that he got a grip on his anger, yet it all felt impossible. Perhaps it was better if he tapped into that anger. It was a source of power after all and that's what he needed right now.

He lifted his arm and fired a round of bullets at the lock. There was only a metal door separating him from Pepper right now and he dreaded the fact that he could not hear her anymore. With the lock broken, Iron Man easily kicked down the door and got inside. He found the doombot strangling Pepper to death. Her eyes were closed, her skin extremely pale and different lines of blood trickled down her face and neck. Tony felt his heart come to an absolute standstill.

"_Pepper_!" It was meant to be a shout, but it barely managed to come out his throat at all.

The doombot turned to look over his shoulder, but he did not let go of her. Tony didn't hesitate and shot a beam of energy directly into the doombot's back. The metallic arm finally released Pepper who fell to the floor like a ragged doll. The robot, growling as it moved, flung itself at Tony and tried to rip apart his suit.

It failed.

Tony fired a dozen small missiles directly at the doombot's face. As they exploded, the doombot stumbled back and lost his balance, but it did not fall down. Tony knew that this kind of robot was strong, but it had never gone up against Tony's best weapons. Tony watched how the doombot tried to find his balance again and he knew that this was his chance. With another blast of energy coming out of the palm of his hand, he knocked the doombot down. It whizzed and sputtered for a few seconds as it tried to save itself, but Tony took no chances and put a round of bullets in its chest.

It turned completely limb.

There was a moment where Tony was absolutely terrified. With careful steps, he walked towards Pepper and prayed for her to be breathing. He pushed back the piece of metal covering his face and leaned closer towards his favorite redhead in the universe. She looked terrible, but Tony found her chest rising and falling faintly.

She wasn't dead.

Carefully, he picked her up in his arms and walked out the room. It was frightening to find her so still. He had a better view on the back of her head now and it did not look pretty. Her skin was torn and there was even a small piece of her skull visible. She was in desperate need a hospital right now.

Tony pressed a soft kiss against her temple and whispered, "Don't you dare die on me, Pepper Pots."

~ o ~

Loki didn't care whether Pepper Pots lived or died. All he wanted was to see Iron Man struggling to handle the situation. The chances of her survival were slim and if she did in fact die, then Loki would have a field day watching the (in)famous Tony Stark break down emotionally. But the first part of this new phase had been set in motion and it was time for him to let it play out. He had to focus on the second part of this phase.

This part required a more delicate touch. However, Loki was ever so confident in his skills. It had been a while since he had transformed himself, but he had always been a master at it. He had even been able to fool the greatest sorcerers in Asgard.

Yet today, all that he needed to transform was his voice.

Luckily for him, Betty Ross had an easy voice. He had listened to her voicemail a few times and Loki knew how to mimic her perfectly. He dialed Bruce Banner's cellphone-number and waited patiently. He had already worked out what words to say and the way he wanted his new voice to sound. There was really very little that could go wrong here.

"Who is this?" Bruce answered the phone incredibly rude.

Loki couldn't help but roll his eyes. He wanted to scold the man for it, but he had to stay in character. He swallowed heavily – mostly for dramatic effect - and worked his best magic of the day. "Bruce, is that you?" It was strange to hear not his voice, but the voice of a woman. A woman crying and pleading. "Bruce, can you hear me? _Please_!"

"Betty?" Bruce breathed.

"Thank God!" Loki made sure he held the perfect tone. He figured Bruce was the kind of sentimental man that instantly knew when a voice was Betty's or not. "Bruce, there is a…a _man_ here. He says… He says he will kill me if you don't do what he orders."

"Loki is with you?"

Loki grinned. This man was falling into his trap and it was absolutely fabulous. He paid attention to all the sounds he could hear and now he knew that Bruce was currently in a car. He was probably on his way towards Pepper Pots, but his course would soon deviate.

"Yes," Loki faked a sob, mimicking the one he had heard from Pepper earlier, "you must come quickly, Bruce. He says to meet you…near the main entrance-" another well placed sob, "of central park."

"What?"

"You'll find me there," Loki continued to sob, starting to feel bored with this all, "come quickly!"

Loki knew that he needed to add more drama. He needed Bruce running towards him with nothing else on his mind but the fading screams of the woman he loved. Loki inhaled deeply and began to shout and shriek. He screamed like he imagined this Betty-person would scream. Then he disconnected the call and laughed. Playing with the Avengers wasn't only fun, it was ridiculously easy.

He swirled around and gazed at ten gathered doombots. "Let's get to central park," he said, grinning, "we wouldn't want to miss our appointment with Bruce Banner."

~ o ~

Bruce threw the steering wheel to one side and the car dangerously drifted across the street. It cut off the road to at least four other cars. There was a deafening sound of car honks, screeching tires and angry shouts. The shouts mostly came from the back of the car where Clint and Natasha were holding on for dear life. At this moment, they wished they had gotten into the car with Steve, Thor and other Loki.

"_Bruce_!" Natasha shrieked. "I know you're upset, but please don't try to kill us right now!"

"That bastard Loki has Betty," Bruce said through gritted teeth, his fingers clenched around the steering wheel, "I guess it's my turn now."

Clint and Natasha had heard the entire conversation since it had been on speaker and they had instantly exchanged sorrowful glances. They all knew for a fact that Pepper's three minutes were up and they did not even know whether she lived or not. It seemed they were racing to save another woman's life right now. They could only hope Betty Ross was a strong woman.

The two master assassins had something else on their minds, however. They noticed how tense Bruce had become, how angry was. The last thing they wanted was the Hulk to come out and play while they were still inside the car.

"We'll find Betty, Bruce," Natasha said in her most calm voice. She was reminded of another time she had been stuck with the scientist in a small space. It hadn't ended well back then. "But you have to stay calm, okay? You're not much help to any of us if you change into the Hulk now."

"I know, I know," Bruce muttered. He made another dangerous turn and raced through the street at a speed way above the legal limit. It took them only a few minutes to reach the main entrance of central park and the three of them quickly jumped out of the car.

Without hesitating, they ran into the park. They glanced around, looking for Betty, but they found no one even faintly resembling her. In fact, everything looked strangely calm.

"I'm not sure she's here," Clint said doubtfully.

"I heard her voice," Bruce breathed frantically, "we all heard her! She said to come here or else Loki would kill her. Didn't you hear her scream?"

"I think Clint is right, Bruce," Natasha added, her hand resting on a side-arm connected to her belt, "Betty isn't here and by the looks of everyone taking a nice stroll through the park, they haven't seen anything disturbing."

"Do you know what this smells like?" Clint asked, his hand reaching for his bow. "Like a trap."

"But I heard her," Bruce pressed on, "I _heard_ her."

A new voice sounded. "But did you really?"

The three Avengers spun around and stood face to face with Loki himself. The God of Mischief sighed contently. He appeared absolutely satisfied. Clint and Natasha slowly drew their weapons and aimed it at their archenemy. They were clearly waiting for a move by Loki.

Bruce only stumbled back. He realized Clint was right. They had walked into a trap and knowing Loki, they were in for some misery.

"I am glad you brought Clint and Natasha for me," Loki said with a sweet voice, "it makes my job a lot easier."

"What do you want?" Bruce asked, feeling like a complete idiot. He should have known something wasn't right from the beginning! "Where is Betty?"

Loki shrugged. "How should I know? I honestly did not have the time to track her down, let alone kidnap her. Besides, she's a General's daughter which means she is constantly being watched. Taking Pepper in broad daylight was challenging enough. The last thing I want is General Ross sending his army after me."

"Get back, Bruce," Clint said, taking a step to the right so that he shielded the scientist away from Loki's gaze.

"I have brought a few of my friends, Clint," Loki said, not intimidated by the three Avengers, "I'm sure you and your girlfriend here will have a lot of fun fighting them off."

Nine doombots entered the park. Many mortals began to understand that this was no longer a safe place and they were all trying to leave. Loki clearly did not want that and he closed off all the exits using a simple spell. Force fields separated central park from the rest of the world at this moment. The doombots all moved towards Clint and Natasha who had no other choice but to fight them off.

It gave Loki the perfect opportunity for some private time with Bruce. He twisted his hand and his scepter appeared out of nowhere. Within a few seconds, the God of Mischief stood before Bruce and pressed the tip of the scepter against his chest. At least he tried to.

Bruce kept stepping back, but it didn't seem to annoy Loki that much.

"I hear you're not a fan of gamma-radiation," Loki taunted, "it created the beast inside of you and I have an inkling that it also brings it out when you least want it. Unfortunately, seeing the Hulk is exactly what I want today." There was a moment of silence. "Are you going to transform into the Hulk willingly or not?"

"Why would I do that?" Bruce was strangely calm.

"Then I'll have to force your hand." Loki glanced back at the fight between Clint and Natasha with the doombots. It was fierce and loud, but Loki had no more attention for it. He merely wanted to know whether they were occupied or not. That was indeed the case so now he walked towards Bruce who backed away until he hit something hard.

The scientist spun around and found himself looking into the metal face of another doombot. It grabbed his arms and turned him around again. Loki stood only inches away from him, the tip of his scepter touching his chest up to the point it hurt. Bruce instantly felt a strange sensation flood his body. He gasped for breath and tried to understand what was happening.

He quickly realized that he was slowly losing control over his mind. This must have been what Clint had gone through months ago.

As much as he tried to resist, Bruce found that he was losing the battle. There was another guy inside of him, however, that did not like the manipulation. Bruce swallowed heavily as he felt the Hulk slowly fighting to take over. The beast would never fall under Loki's control, but then again, Bruce doubted that was Loki's intention.

"Come one," Loki whispered, encouraging Bruce to lose control, "I know you are in there, Hulky-boy."

"You really want to do this?" Bruce said through gritted teeth. "Last time you met him, it didn't end that well for you."

"Oh, I have faith it will be different this time."

At that moment, Bruce felt himself disappear.

He made room for his counterpart. The Hulk easily broke free of the doombot's grasp, but the influence of Loki's scepter still had its effects. The Hulk was fiercer, much angrier (and that was saying something). He snarled and roared and had no control _whatsoever_. He ripped the doombot's head off and threw it across central park. It probably landed somewhere in the East River.

People around them were screaming and shouting now. They all tried to get away, but the exits were still closed off and the Hulk had little control over himself. Loki quickly cast a spell so that the Hulk could no longer see him. He definitely didn't want to fall into the Hulk's hands again. The Hulk looked around for him, but when he found nothing, he moved on to other targets.

More innocent targets.

Loki was extremely satisfied by these results. He retreated towards the doombots fighting Clint and Natasha. He undid the invisibility-spell and smiled when he heard the Hulk tear out trees behind him. Next he heard him knocking aside mortals. The dull thuds of when these humans hit the ground was almost chilling, but Loki cared not.

His task was not done and he quickly refocused on the two assassins who were bravely fighting the doombots. They were doing a pretty good job and Loki disliked it.

"Capture them," he ordered the remaining seven doombots. Two already lay incapacitated on the ground, several arrows and knives sticking out of them. One also had a bullet-hole in his eye. To make it easier for his playthings, Loki sent a blast of pure energy towards Natasha. The power hit her in the stomach and she doubled over. The closest doombot seized the chance and knocked her out.

"_No_!" Clint shouted as he watched his partner fall down.

Loki hit him next, though Clint managed to keep himself standing up. As quick as a fox, the archer grabbed an arrow and shot it towards Loki. It whizzed past his left ear and Loki felt offended that he had been this close to getting shot by Clint's arrow. In his uncontrolled anger, Loki shot another beam of energy at him and this time, it sent the archer flying back a few yards.

Clint landed forcefully on his back and a doombot quickly made sure that he had been knocked out as well.

Somewhere in the distance, Loki could still hear the Hulk raging through the park. He could hear the breaking of trees and the cries of mortals as they desperately searched for shelter. He wished he could stay for a while and witness the destruction the Hulk was currently sowing. He had always marveled in chaos like this.

Sadly enough, there was no time. Loki couldn't risk a swarm of SHIELD-agents getting inside the park. The force fields blocking all exits were strong, but Loki knew they would never hold against a dozen machine-guns or against the power of Mjolnir.

"Bind these two!" He ordered. "And let's get out of here." He felt intensely pleased that he had captured the two assassins. He had something special planned for them. Something far crueler than both Tony's or Bruce's fates.

Oh, he was going to enjoy the next hour!


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Marvel-characters!**

**AN: I decided it was time for a breather. After what happened to Tony (Pepper really) and Bruce (whoever was in central park at that moment), I felt there was need for some conversation. Also, Loki and Thor haven't really appeared much lately. I had to fix that.**

**Enjoy!**

**~ The Opposites ~**

**Chapter 8**

Thor had just ended his phone call with Jane. After what had happened to Pepper, he'd needed to hear her voice. He had to know if she was safe enough. One word from her and he would be running towards her, but Jane had assure him that she was safe. She, Erik and Darcy had been brought to a safe house and they were being protected by two dozen of SHIELD-agents.

Jane had also assured him that Darcy was currently inseparable from her Taser. That had made Thor chuckle even in these barren times.

But there were more urgent matters that demanded his attention. Thor promised Jane he would come for her as soon as possible, but right now, he was needed at Stark Tower. He had only laid one glance on the lone figure of his brother and he had instinctively known he needed to talk with him.

Loki had stood before the window for nearly an hour now and Thor was growing extremely worried about him. He knew the situation couldn't be easy for him either.

"Loki?"

The trickster – who had no more real mischief in him – turned around and smiled politely. "Can I help with something?"

It remained strange to witness his brother's helpfulness. Thor didn't know whether he enjoyed it or not. It was a relief to know that Loki still had this much good in him, but on the other hand… This was _not_ Loki, not really. Thor missed his true brother, the one that had a twinkle of mischief in his eyes, the one that was of quick wit and who used magic for the silliest things.

"How are you?" he asked as he stood beside Loki. He gazed outside, not wanting his brother to feel threatened or scrutinized as he answered the question. "This isn't an easy situation, for no one."

"I can handle it," Loki answered plainly, "I only wish there was something more I could do. I feel useless."

"You've already helped us enough," Thor assured him.

"Have I?" Loki spun around so that he faced Thor fully. His body was tense, his eyes wide. "Pepper is in the hospital and Tony is completely shaken by it. Bruce has locked himself away in some room, refusing to come out because of what he did in central park and now Clint and Natasha are _missing_."

Thor pressed his lips together, carefully considering his next words. It was bizarre that he didn't immediately know what to respond to that. Had it been 'normal' Loki, he would have forced him to believe his words. He would have stubbornly pointed out what he had done for them, but perhaps this Loki required a softer and subtler touch.

"None of that is your fault," Thor said, connecting his gaze with his brother's. Even his eyes weren't what they used to be. They were too sympathetic, too sad. "You told us what we should protect, you _warned _us the other one would go after everything we hold dear, but we simply weren't fast enough."

"_The other one_," Loki echoed quietly, "you make it sound like we are completely different people. We're not, Thor, we are one and the same. He is me and I am him. Therefor I am to blame as well."

"If he had you," Thor countered, "he wouldn't be doing this."

"That's true," Loki chuckled humorlessly, "if he had me, he wouldn't be hurting everyone you hold dear, he would be trying to subjugate earth again. I am the one that's broken, Thor, the one craves acceptation and love. I am the one that keeps trying to prove myself to you and father. I thought that if I had a realm of my own - and if I succeeded in ruling it well - that you and father would see me as a worthy brother and son."

Thor swallowed heavily. It was difficult to hear this even when he already _knew _it. "You are worthy, Loki," he said softly while he forced him to look into his eyes. Perhaps Loki would be able to see the truth in them. "Ever since…" He doubted whether to say this or not, but then he remembered he shouldn't lie anymore. Lies had ruined their lives. "Ever since you sent the Destroyer after me in Puente Antiguo, I thought our brotherhood would forever be broken, but it's still as strong as ever. At least it is on my part. And you might not know the answer to why, but I do. It is because after _everything_, we're still family, we're brothers."

"No," Loki sighed, averting his gaze, "you are just saying that because I am different now. I am the brother you wished for, the one that cares and loves you. The moment Odin puts me and the other one together again, I'll be gone. I'll be back to…to cursing your name and trying to find ways to make your life hell. You'll find yourself wondering why we are still brothers in the first place."

"Maybe you are not the real Loki," Thor said, "but you are a part of him. You are everything that is still good about him. The other one-" He suddenly felt very exasperated, "-he is _not_ the strongest one. You are stronger than him, Loki, I know you are and you can take control when you're put back together."

Loki seemed to be holding his breath and Thor knew this conversation was difficult for him.

"You don't know what it is like, Thor." Loki brought a hand through his slick raven hair. He closed his eyes for a moment before sighing. "Image that you aren't who you're supposed to be. Now imagine that there is someone out there that has a heart so black it is poison. You wouldn't want to be put together with him again, would you?"

"I suppose not," Thor answered quietly.

"So don't go telling me that I am stronger than him," Loki said, a hint of anger in his voice, "because a black heart always consumes a white one. I'm not even pure anymore. When I first came into existence, all I cared for was pleasing Odin. All I wanted was to be a good son and a good brother. It's why I came here in the first place; to help you. Now I have felt what the other one is feeling and sometimes, I feel it too. Sometimes, I feel angry or hurt."

"That's only natural," Thor assured him. He knew he had to make Loki feel more confident about himself. He dreaded to think what would happen if both Loki's were put together again and the other one would come out on top. No, Thor made it his personal mission to make Loki feel stronger and better about himself. "We're all human, we all feel those things and we're all frightened by them at times. That is what makes you better than the other one. He doesn't fear it, he manipulates it into something he can use."

"Use against us," Loki added.

"Yes," Thor agreed, "which is why you're the only one who can stop him. You know how he thinks, how he plots. You are smarter than him, Loki, you must trust in that."

Loki sighed, disbelief visible in his eyes. Yet he said, "I'll try."

~ o ~

Steve let his head fall against the wooden door. It produced a dull thud. He wished there was something he could say that was _right_, but whatever came from his mouth at this point would still be wrong. There simply weren't words for this kind of situation and Steve was beginning to feel absolutely useless.

"Bruce, let me in," he asked for the umpteenth time, "you can't lock yourself away forever. We have to talk about what happened. I know this is difficult for you to believe, but you're not being blamed here. Loki manipulated you, he _made_ you become the Hulk."

"I should have known," Bruce answered from the other side of the door. He sounded very tired and Steve couldn't begin to understand what he was going through at this moment. "We all knew Loki was out there, scheming and plotting our downfall. Yet, one phone call from him and go running towards him! I'm an idiot. A _murdering_ idiot!"

"You thought Betty was in danger," Steve argued, hoping that he wasn't going to make Bruce feel worse, "Loki almost killed Pepper. It's a miracle she'll live. So we can all understand that you couldn't take the risk of Loki killing Betty. None of us blame you."

"Well, you should!"

"Bruce…"

"…I killed 21 people." Bruce's voice sounded broken. "I know I was being manipulated by Loki. He somehow made the Hulk angrier than usual, but their blood is still on my hands and I have to live with that. So excuse me locking myself away in this room, I don't want to add more to that number."

"You've got to open the door, Bruce," Steve repeated. If he wanted, he could just kick in the door, but that would be unwise. There was no telling whether there was still a faint residue of Loki's manipulation on Bruce. Maybe if he kicked in the door, Bruce would hulk out without wanting to. "We need you right now."

Suddenly – making Steve stumble back – the door opened. Bruce looked horrible. His face was pale and he had dark circles under his eyes. His hair was disheveled and he wasn't wearing his glasses. Those had been broken in central park.

"Natasha and Clint are missing because of me," he said through gritted teeth, "I lead them straight towards Loki and he took them. Oh God, what is he planning with them?"

"We don't know," Steve answered truthfully, "that's why we need all the help we can get."

Bruce rubbed a hand over his tired face. "We're still nowhere with trying to trace his scepter," he sighed, "so he can be anywhere right now. Natasha and Clint can be anywhere, so unless Loki calls with some sort of demand, we'll never find them."

"Then let's hope he calls."

"I somehow doubt it."

Steve could only painfully agree.

~ o ~

For a moment, Natasha thought Thor had hit her with his hammer a dozen times. Her head felt like it was about to split in half and she wished she could crawl under the covers of her bed. When she realized that she was actually sitting on a metal chair, she tried to reach for her head only to realize that her hands – and feet- were bound by iron chains.

"Natasha?"

She knew that voice all too well. Slowly – since the muscles in her neck ached – she lifted her chin and shook her red curls away from her eyes. Her gaze was unfocused and she needed a moment to adjust her sight. What she saw after a few seconds, made her throat go completely dry.

She found herself sitting a very long room that had been split in two by a large glass that spread from one side of the room to the other, from ground to ceiling. She sat in one half of the room, somewhere in the middle while Clint sat in the other half. There was nothing else present. Not a table, not a guard, nor were there any windows. She could tell that this room had been specifically altered for them.

Like herself, Clint had been bound to a metal chair. His wrist and arms were tied with iron shackles to the chair arms and – again like Natasha - he was tied to the front legs of the chair from ankles to knees. The chair itself had been bolted to the concrete floor beneath them. No matter how hard Natasha struggled to get free, she could not get it moving.

"He's not taking any chances with us, is he?" Clint said. There lay frail humor in his voice, but Natasha knew this was his way of dealing with these kinds of situations.

It was a surprise they could hear each other through that glass, but Natasha assumed it was made to let sound pass through. Or perhaps Loki had put a spell on it. She really despised that pathetic little creature right now.

"There is always a way out, Clint," Natasha said stubbornly. When she sharpened her gaze, she could see distress in his eyes. She eagerly struggled again as she tried everything to get her hands free from underneath the iron shackles. It was all in vain.

Suddenly, her index finger found a bump on the side of the chair arm. She stretched her neck – ignoring the dull ache – to see what it was exactly.

"I wouldn't touch that," Clint warned.

It was a small, red button.

"What is this?"

"Look behind you."

Natasha turned her head around as far as possible without injuring any muscles in her neck, shoulders or back. Her gaze quickly landed on a small device placed directly behind her. She swallowed heavily when she realized it was a small bomb.

"_Ebat' kopat'_," she breathed, momentarily relapsing into her original Russian tongue.

"Oh shit indeed," Clint agreed, "I have a bomb as well. _And_ a button. Loki really put his best work in this one."

**AN: I know, I am a sucker for writing evil cliffhangers, but I promise I will update the next chapter quicker this time. **

**Thoughts?**


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Marvel-characters!**

**AN: I bring a new chapter! Thanks to everyone that reviewed! :) It's always so thrilling to read your thoughts and feedback! I hope you will all enjoy chapter nine.**

**~ The Opposites ~**

**Chapter 9**

"_Ebat' kopat'_," Natasha breathed, having momentarily fallen back into her original Russian tongue.

"Oh shit indeed," Clint agreed, "I have a bomb as well. And a button. Loki really put his best work in this one."

Natasha tried to think. She didn't really know Loki, certainly not this ultra-evil version of him. She assumed, however, that he was the kind of psychopath that enjoyed games. Her gaze fell back on the thick glass separating her from Clint. She did not trust that detail at all.

"Where is Loki anyway?" She asked.

Out of nowhere, the God of Mischief appeared. It wasn't really him, though. The way he shimmered told Natasha that this was merely a projection of him, like he had done in Stuttgart.

"Speak of the devil and he shall appear," Loki smirked. He walked once around Natasha's chair and saw that she was still firmly in place. He easily walked through the glass – as if it wasn't even there - and checked Clint's shackles. When he saw that he too was going nowhere, he smiled.

"You two gave me quite the headache," he confessed almost sweetly, "finding Stark's weakness was easy. Pepper Pots was always a target since the very beginning. Then there was Banner. Finding his weakness wasn't difficult, but I quickly understood I could never lay a hand on Betty Ross. She was too well protected, but a new plan was easily forged – having a brilliant mind like me truly helps – yet I was surprised to find he walked into my trap without a second thought. Tomorrow's headlines will be magnificent. 21 people dead!"

Natasha was horrified by that number and she could only begin to imagine was Bruce was going through right now. She hoped there weren't any children involved. However, she found herself in an appalling situation and she couldn't really afford to be worrying over Bruce.

The way Loki gloated made her want to kick him. She didn't like a word that came out of his mouth.

Loki sighed contently. "But you two," he clicked his tongue twice in a disapproving manner, "at first I thought you two had no weaknesses. There isn't any close family, not even distant relatives, nor are there any friendships outside of SHIELD. You two seemed completely detached from the world until I realized…you _are_ each other's weaknesses. It's almost adorable."

"What do you want?" Clint hissed.

"I want to play a game." Loki spun around and winked at Natasha.

She felt sick in her stomach when she understood Loki had listened in to their conversation earlier. Now more than ever, she wished she could break free and snap his little neck.

"The rules are very simple," Loki began to explain, smiling as if they were about to play a game of Yathzee, "each one of you has a bomb and a detonator. Clint-" Loki whipped his head around to look at the archer, "your detonator sets off Natasha's bomb. Natasha-" he turned back towards her, "your detonator explodes Clint's bomb."

"_What_?" Natasha gasped.

She saw a horrified expression fill Clint's face and she knew she had the same expression right now. This was more than a game. This was a sick and twisted outing of one's fragile and diseased mind.

"Now," Loki rubbed his hands together, "you have five minutes to decide."

"To decide what?" Clint snarled.

"Who dies of course," Loki rolled his eyes, not believing Clint could ask such a stupid question, "and if one you isn't blown out of existence by the time those five minutes are gone, both your bombs will explode."

"So you expect us to choose?" Natasha asked fearfully. She was surprised to find her own voice so soft.

"That is the whole point of this, yes," Loki answered ecstatically, "otherwise, this wouldn't really be a game, would it?"

"No," Clint said stubbornly, "we're not playing your maniacal game!"

"That's fine by me," Loki shrugged, "you'll both die. The other Avengers will be ever so crushed and distraught. It will make my job a lot easier of breaking them one by one. Just know that if you do decide to play my game, one of you will walk out of here, completely unharmed." Loki's grin widened before he added, "Psychically at least."

"We'll come for you," Natasha swore wrathfully, "and when we do, you will _beg_ for mercy."

"If that gives you any comfort," Loki said, clearly not feeling intimidated, "then sure. But I'm afraid there has been enough chit chat for now. Your five minutes begin now. I suggest you start them by saying goodbye to each other. Make it heartwarming."

Loki's projection disappeared.

Natasha was absolutely seething. Her gaze landed on Clint and for a long moment, they just stared at each other. She didn't know what she could read in the archer's eyes, but she could definitely recognize fear, panic, bewilderment and a great portion of pure fury. But they were master assassins and they worked for SHIELD. Had they not faced worse before? When Natasha thought about it, her mind came up empty.

No, they had never faced something like this before.

Suddenly, Clint's eyes softened. "It's all right, Natasha," he said in hushed tones.

"No!" She was clearly not over her own anger yet. She also refused to play Loki's game, certainly when she remembered that he was probably watching them right now. She simply was not going to provide him with a good show. "No, Clint," she repeated, "the others will find us, okay?"

Clint raised his eyebrows. "Within the next five minutes? I highly doubt it. This time we're in too deep. Only one of us will make it out alive and that has to be you."

"You don't get to make that decision," Natasha countered. Her mind was racing to find any solution for this, but a small voice assured her that there was no way of escaping. No matter how hard she struggled, she could not break free. It tore her apart and she knew Clint could see that. "You push the button. You already saved my life, Clint, so now it's my turn."

Clint shook his head, his usual calculated brown eyes only showing sorrow and pain.

"It has to be you," he pressed on, "you know why?" He actually waited until she shook her head. "Because you've always been the strongest one. If I lose you, I'll be lost. I'll be completely directionless, I'll break down. But you…" He smiled sadly. "You will push on because you are a survivor. I know you'll avenge me and that's enough."

"I'm not killing you," Natasha whispered, her eyes full of tears. She couldn't remember the last time she had cried, but there she sat, feeling like a little, lost girl that couldn't help but sob softly. "I'm not killing you to save myself."

"No, no," Clint assured her, his voice thick as he watched Natasha cry, "don't look at it that way. This is me saving you. I _want_ this, Natasha, so please…"

Tears came into his eyes and Natasha wondered whether she had ever seen him cry before. The answer was extremely simple: no. Her heart began to weigh even heavier.

"Press the button, Clint," Natasha murmured and she knew Clint could barely hear her.

"Tasha…" Whenever he used that pet name, he had her undivided attention. Every time, she would raise her gaze to meet his and every time they would share an intimate, knowing glance. Only Clint was allowed to call her that, but today, it sounded drained. Like he had lost a part of his soul, like he had lost his will to go on. "Remember Budapest?"

Natasha inhaled sharply to steady herself, but she couldn't control her tears or her sobs. However, one mention of Budapest and she smiled. Albeit a very watery smile.

"The undercover mission," Natasha said, remember perfectly well what had happened.

"They found us out," Clint continued, "and they put a bounty on our heads so when we tried to flee the country, we were suddenly surrounded by three dozen bounty hunters and mercenaries. We didn't even work together for that long, but suddenly, all we had left was each other."

"We didn't think we would make it out alive," Natasha reminisced.

"Exactly," Clint chuckled. It was strange to hear him like this, certainly in this situation. "But somehow I managed to keep most of them at bay so I told you to run as fast as you could. I told you to leave me behind, but you refused. You stuck by my side and we beat them all, Tasha."

"I'm sticking with you now."

"But that moment," Clint continued, ignoring her comment, "it was in that moment I realized I loved you and I only knew you for a few months. I swore I would protect you from that moment onwards. So let me protect you now, please let me save you."

"This is cruel." A muffled sob escaped her throat. She didn't care Clint could see her so vulnerable. In fact, she _wanted_ him to see this because it was proof, was it not? This showed her pain, _her love_. She hadn't even told him yet! "I love you too, Clint. We should have said this before. We would have been wonderful together."

Clint nodded and some of his tears fell on his shirt. "We would have been," he agreed. He inhaled sharply and relaxed a bit. "Now put your finger on that trigger, Tasha. It's all right. It's all going to be fine."

Very reluctantly, she placed her index finger on the red button. It suddenly felt very filthy and she wanted to remove her finger. Yet she fought that urge and forced herself to look into Clint's eyes.

"This is not your fault," Clint said in a surprisingly even voice, "remember that. You did not kill me, Tasha, Loki did. This is his doing, all right?"

Natasha nodded as she held her breath. Inhaling became too painful. "I'll try to remember."

"And promise me something," Clint added, "promise me you'll kill him."

That made her frown. "I don't think Thor will let me."

"Thor will still have a Loki," Clint explained, "you only have to kill the evil son of a bitch and all that remains is the good version. It would benefit us all, including Thor. All that would be left is a good and caring Loki that loves his brother. In the end, he might even turn out to be a powerful ally. Just as long as that evil bastard is _dead_."

"I promise," Natasha heard herself say.

"Now close your eyes," Clint instructed, "Tasha, don't look at me. Please do it, please."

Natasha had tried to hold her breath, but of course that was impossible. Her breathing became erratic, but she didn't care. She only did as Clint asked of her. "Clint?"

"It's fine," he whispered, "it's all going to be fine. You can press the button, Tasha, it will all be over soon. Go on."

She had to tell him again. She had to know that he understood how she felt about him. "I love you."

"I love you too."

She pressed the button.

A loud bang could be heard and a vibration shifted through the air. Natasha knew she shouldn't, but she simply couldn't help but open her eyes. She saw a raging fire fill Clint's part of the room, consuming absolutely everything…

…consuming _him_.

"Clint!" She screamed. "CLINT!"

The glass that separated them now kept the fire away from her, but Natasha could still feel the heat. For a moment, she worried that the glass would break and consume her as well, but she didn't care. A small voice in her head even wished for it to happen. But the glass remained in place and Natasha understood that Loki must have put a spell on it. No glass could withstand this much heat.

Clint's words echoed through her mind. '_You did not kill me. Loki did._' It was difficult to believe that now since she actually pressed that damned button. She couldn't deny Loki's part in this, but she also had to face her own fault. Guilt overtook her and Natasha felt sick.

She leaned sideways and threw up.

Suddenly, the shackles fell away from her hands and legs.

Not hesitating, she jumped up from the chair and ran for the door. Her entire vision blurred and she could barely focus on what she was doing, but she knew she had to get inside Clint's room. She had to be with him. She pulled open her door – relieved that it was not locked – and quickly made her way towards his door. She reached for the doorknob, but instinctively retracted her hand when she found the knob burning hot.

"NO!" She yelled. She began to beat her hands on the door, but even that was impossible. Everything she touched left her with burn marks. _Good_, she thought, _this is what I deserve_. She wished the entire building had blown up, but Loki had probably enchanted their rooms. The blast would be contained to one room, killing only one person.

"_No_," she repeated, much softer this time.

She cursed Loki's name and she swore that she would kill him for Clint. She had promised him after all. However, she lost all strength in her legs and fell to the floor. Tears were still streaming down and Natasha felt like curling up and weeping herself to sleep. She wanted to disappear from this world. Maybe she hoped she would wake and find Clint alive again.

"Clint," she sobbed his name, "I am so sorry."

She was completely overtaken by her grief and pain.

A few minutes passed like this and then something clicked inside her mind. She was Natasha Romanoff and she had made a promise to Clint Barton. She would kill Loki for this. She was going to torture him, _burn_ him and rip him apart, piece by piece.

Her grief and pain were still very much present, but for the moment it was overtaken by something much more powerful: wrath.

**AN: Can I just apologize to GreenLoki? I know how much you love Clint, but this was always planned… I'm also sorry for anyone who wanted Clint to live… For some reason, it was Natasha who made it out alive. Please don't hate me now!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Marvel-characters!**

**AN: Thank you so much for all your reviews! I am sorry for making some of you cry ;) I wasn't sure whether to make Clint and Natasha confess their love for each other since it's not canon (not in my eyes), but I found that it worked for this story. **

**Are you ready for a long chapter? Cause I have one for you!**

**Enjoy!**

**~ The Opposites ~**

**Chapter 10**

It was only very reluctantly that Thor left his brother's side. He could see the guilt written in those green, shy eyes. It couldn't be easy for Loki to have an evil doppelganger walking around out there, hell-bent on the destruction of the Avengers. Thor tried to imagine what it would be like for him if he had somehow been split in two, but it was impossible. It was too complicated and Thor wished he could make it easier somehow.

But Loki was slowly withdrawing into himself, carefully locking his thoughts away. He didn't want to appear weak or vulnerable and Thor had to remind himself that technically, Loki was still the villain in the room. The others would never trust him and he couldn't blame them.

So he wished he could stay with Loki at all times. He wanted to tell him that he wasn't to blame, but he knew those words would fall on deaf ears.

However, Steve entered the grand room on top of Stark Tower, followed by an ill-looking Bruce. For a moment, Thor hesitated, but after quickly glancing at Loki, he knew there wouldn't be any further conversing. He stepped away from him and joined the two Avengers who always kept their distance from the trickster – certainly after what happened to them these past few hours.

"Welcome back, Bruce," Thor said softly. He had a genuine smile on his face as to encourage Bruce to do the same. What had happened to him was regretful, but Thor did not blame him for what happened at the park. He had not been in control of the beast after all, but that did not make the situation any easier. He could see the many deaths weighing heavily on Bruce's conscious.

"I can't lock myself away forever," Bruce sighed. He took the glasses from his nose and began to clean them with the edge of his shirt. Thor could see his eyes better now and he definitely found them tired-looking. "Besides, we still have a job to do," he added, "Natasha and Clint are missing and we have to find a way to stop Loki."

Thor nodded, completely agreeing with everything the scientist had said. "Finding Natasha and Clint is our top priority. Loki won't hesitate to move on from them to us." He motioned to himself and Steve. "We are the only ones left on his list. Jane, Erik and Darcy are safe, but what about you?"

Steve shrugged slightly. "Everyone I know is dead. I haven't been in this world long enough to reestablish any new connections."

"Don't worry," Thor said apologetically, "if there is anything I know about the other Loki, it is that he is very inventive. He'll find something to use against you."

Steve let out a heavy breath.

"How is _he_ doing?" Bruce asked, nodding towards Loki. The trickster – who did not have many tricks left in him – was staring out of the window and into the grand, lively city beneath him even though the sun had already set over the horizon. The glass caught his clear reflection and showed that he was deep in thought. There was a frown adorning his face.

"He puts up a strong façade," Thor revealed, "but I can see straight through it. These are difficult time for all of us, him included. He feels worthless and valueless. Yet, he must grow stronger, but I do not know how I can help him."

Bruce was surprised by his words. "Stronger?"

"As every hour passes," Thor explained, "other Loki plots and succeeds in his schemes. He grows more confident and wiser. He grows more…depraved and destructive."

"With other words," Steve added, "more evil."

"Indeed," Thor agreed reluctantly. He did not enjoy the world 'evil'. It made him feel as if his brother was lost to him. He refused to give up on Loki – any version of him – and he wished he could help him in any way possible. But as more time went by, he began to believe it impossible. That thought made him very somber. "I fear that if my father were to put them together again at this very moment, Loki over there would be consumed by the other one."

"And all we'd be left with," Bruce said, understanding what Thor was telling them, "is a son of a bitch that has barely any good left inside." He put his overly clean glasses back on his nose.

It was very uncharacteristic of Bruce to use such a word. It only showed how much Loki had gotten under his skin. Everyone was reaching their breaking point due to Loki's games and manipulations. It was time to put a stop to it, but they would have to find Loki first.

It appeared an impossible task at this moment. Loki had gotten too good at hiding himself.

"Well, I don't know how you're planning on helping this Loki get stronger," Steve began.

"_Thor_?" Loki suddenly grabbed for his head while sucking in a deep breath.

In less than three steps, Thor stood at Loki's side. Carefully, he placed a hand on his brother's shoulder, not understanding what was happening. Loki swayed forward and Thor quickly used his other hand to support his weight. He was disturbed by how little his brother still weighed. Loki reached with both hands for Thor's broad arms as he tried to steady himself. His nails dug deep within Thor's flesh.

Loki squeezed his eyes shut, his face revealing only distress, discomfort and hints of pain. Thor wished Steve and Bruce would come to Loki's aid, but they kept a safe distance as they clearly did not trust what was happening. Thor couldn't really blame them for he himself was weary about the situation.

"Loki, what is wrong?" He asked with a much too loud voice.

The trickster flinched. "It's him," he managed to utter. He groaned, let go of Thor's arms and began to pull his hair.

Thor believed his brother had gone mad at this point. He quickly grabbed Loki's hands and kept them locked against his heaving chest. Loki's breathing had become erratic and his face paled. He let himself fall forward against Thor and found support by leaning his head against Thor's shoulder.

"You should feel it," he breathed, "it is so…_wretched_."

It finally dawned on Thor that Loki was currently experiencing other Loki's feelings and emotions.

"That's not you, Loki," he assured his brother. It pained him to see Loki is such a distraught state. "It is the other one who feels it. You are better than him, you can be stronger than him!"

"But it so…" Loki hesitated and bit down on his lip until he drew blood, "_fierce_. It is cutting me, like a knife slicing through butter. There is nothing I can do to push it away." He opened his eyes wide, but Thor could see they were unfocused. He doubted Loki was actually looking at him right now.

Thor quickly glanced over to Steve and Bruce, but they didn't move closer. They only sported a concerned and slightly anxious frown on their faces.

"He is so excited and jubilant, Thor," Loki said in a hushed tone, "he is marveling at something."

It was difficult for the thunderer to come to the realization that this might just be their advantage. Having an insight in other Loki's feelings could give them some answers to what he's plotting. It could even tell them where he is right now. Thor knew he had to grab this opportunity with both hands even though it hurt Loki in the process.

"What else, brother," he asked, "what else does he feel?"

"He feels…accomplished," Loki answered, his eyes still unfocused, "he is very happy and overjoyed." He looked ghostly pale and Thor feared that he might pass out at some point. "But I can see…" Loki added, "I can _see_… The image is terrifying."

Now the situation became simply unsettling. Thor no longer wanted Loki inside the other one's head. He carefully shook his brother, wishing his eyes to become focused again. "It is enough, Loki, pull yourself out of it."

Loki blinked many times. "There is fire everywhere," he mouthed, barely audible, "and it so bright. My counterpart is in awe. He is laughing, Thor."

Loki closed his eyes and his knees gave out, but Thor had a firm grip on him and easily kept him standing up. When Loki opened his eyes again, they were normal and instantly found Thor's worried gaze. Instantly, Loki straightened himself and took in deep breaths to steady himself. He seemed embarrassed that he'd appeared so weak. He even takes a step away from his brother, his lips one thin line as if he is biting back a remark.

Due to the commotion, everyone had failed to hear someone enter the room. Tony Stark had just returned from the hospital and he was not in the mood for any drama. Everyone turned around to look at him when he cleared his throat, but Tony's gaze only sought out Loki. It was then that his usually pleasant eyes held something new, something that hadn't been there hours ago. It wasn't hostility or animosity – it certainly wasn't kindness - but it was something along the lines of accusation.

Loki swallowed heavily, his eyes switching between everyone present. For a moment Thor thought he would step closer to him again in search of protection, but Loki only retreated more into himself. He was definitely more guarded.

"What's going on?" Tony asked coldly.

"I think…" Loki seemed to contemplate on something. Perhaps he didn't know whether to tell the truth or not, but Thor urged him to speak his mind. "Clint and Natasha; I think one them died by that fire."

~ o ~

This was drama at its purest and finest. Loki was completely captivated by it. Seeing these lowly mortals struggle to survive always had an amusing touch to it. He had told Natasha and Clint to make their goodbyes heartwarming, but this was beyond that. Loki felt he could sit back and enjoy the show. All he needed was a fizzy drink to completely enjoy himself.

He watched Natasha close her eyes and Loki began to smile. He had overdone himself with this plan and he couldn't believe all was working out so well. He waited impatiently, then held his breath as he doubted Natasha would actually press the button.

But she did and Loki laughed when Clint's bomb exploded. His laughs turned into giggles and finally he found himself completely satisfied when Natasha broke down before Clint's locked door. Seeing her tears were his reward for putting so much work into this master plan.

Yet there was something nagging at him in the back of his mind. He felt…watched. Loki carefully glanced around, but only found half a dozen doombots standing around him. They were completely harmless and wouldn't jump into action unless he gave them some sort of instruction. It wasn't because of them he felt spied on. Loki narrowed his eyes, wondering for a moment whether this was just his mind playing tricks on him.

He inhaled deeply and called himself mad until he realized he was actually mad. His counterpart was mostly the one keeping him sane when they had still been one person. Then it hit him and Loki felt furious. No one on the outside had been watching him. Someone had been watching him on the _inside_. The other Loki - that nasty, little serpent - had been experiencing his emotions. He himself had once felt the other's fear. It had physically hurt him and Loki understood he had to shield himself away.

The last thing he wanted was someone else inside his mind, not even if that someone else was a version of him. He had heard Clint ask Natasha to kill him and he despised the fact that they held so much faith in _good and pure_ Loki. It was disgusting! Being this person was his destiny. Hurting others, breaking them, was what he had always been good out without even realizing it.

Loki spun around and faced his doombots. He felt angry. His previous joy over Barton's death was already subdued – although thinking about it made him smirk.

"It's time for our next victim," he told them. The doombots all turned to face him with near admiration. They bowed their heads in respect as they were addressed by their new master. "But he is holed up in Stark's petty tower. We need to lure him out."

The doombots stared.

"You really are all worthless, aren't you?" Loki sneered. "Do I have to think about everything myself?"

He strode away, fully expecting the doombots to follow him. They did, only proving yet again how mindless they really were. Loki did not understand why Victor Von Doom was so proud of them. Even Stark could invent better robots than these morons.

"The Captain hasn't been in this world for long," Loki muttered, more to himself than to the robots. He was deep in thought, his mind racing and plotting. He almost enjoyed this part as much as he enjoyed the eventual execution of a plan. "He has no living family and all of his friends are dead."

Loki bit down on his lip as he moved inside a car. Without doubt, this place would soon be crawling with SHIELD-agents and Loki had no intention of fighting them.

For a moment he wondered whether the Captain would show up on this site, but he doubted Fury would allow any of his precious Avengers to leave Stark Tower. Up there, they could be protected. Loki was starting to think he should _add_ Fury to his list of revenge. The one-eyed man was making his life difficult.

Loki came to the conclusion that he couldn't stand one-eyed men. Next time he met one, he would gut him instantly.

He forced himself to focus again. His first and only concern was the Avengers. He shouldn't be bothered with Fury or Odin. Toying with Thor and his friends was gratification enough. _For now_. So he returned to his plotting and found himself more successful this time. He knew what he wanted to do and the best part was that he did not physically have to be around the Captain to achieve it. It was different from what he had done to the others, but not necessarily gentler.

Loki couldn't wait to see Steve Roger's reaction.

~ o ~

The room was completely silent. Not even the breathing of seven different people could be heard. All of the Avengers – minus the archer – were present, as was Fury and Loki. They all stared at the floor, their pale hands or into the distance. It was as if none dared to speak, none dared to break the heavy silence that was starting to feel uncomfortable.

Thor simply did not know what he could say at this point. His gaze fell on Loki who had retreated to the farthest corner of the room. He clearly wanted to disappear into the background and Thor couldn't blame him. He let his gaze slide towards Natasha Romanoff who was currently glaring daggers into Loki's very soul.

Her eyes were red, her cheeks still wet with tears that had stopped rolling now. Her skin looked ashen and her hands were balled into fists as they lay on the table surface. Thor knew her nails had long since pierced her skin, but he dared not to comment. Natasha had just told them what had happened to her longtime partner and they were all too stunned to reply.

They were all shocked and felt beaten down.

It was dreadful enough that Natasha had been forced to hitch a ride to the nearest SHIELD-facility after Loki had left her at the abandoned warehouse. Fury's best agents were already combing out the surroundings, trying to find anything that could lead them to evil Loki, but Thor knew the search was pointless. Loki had left the warehouse the moment Clint had been… Thor couldn't even bring himself to think the words.

This was by far one of Loki's most wretched schemes.

"We're going to find that bastard," Natasha said after a while, still glaring at Loki who had already lowered his gaze many minutes ago, "and we're going to make him _pay_."

Thor understood Natasha's pain and grief, but there was no chance he would allow anyone to lay a hand on his brother – whatever version of him. It was important that they all remembered this wasn't regular Loki, yet he did not voice that thought. It seemed…inappropriate.

"We're all so very sorry," Steve said quietly. He was sitting next to her and for a moment, he seemed to contemplate on reaching for her hand, but clearly decided against it. Natasha was a fierce woman and even though Steve was a super soldier, she was still capable of breaking his hand if she wanted to. "If there is anything-"

"You can kill Loki for me," Natasha spat.

Loki glanced up, his eyes uncertain.

Thor moved to stand before his brother, stealing him away from everyone's eyes. "What Loki did is unforgivable, but we must remember that this Loki-" He pointed behind him, "-has nothing to do with that. His counterpart will be punished for his crimes. Back on Asgard."

Natasha narrowed her eyes and scolded. "You're not taking him away from us this time, Thor," she said icily, "we allowed it the first time and look where we are now! If you had done a better job at keeping him your prisoner, we wouldn't be in this mess. Clint would still be alive!"

It was difficult to disagree with her. "I understand," Thor replied calmly, "and I do feel guilty-"

"How can you?" Natasha countered, rising to her feet and slamming down her hand on the table. Her eyes grew more spiteful. "You will never feel truly guilty, Thor, because you never pushed that damned button. I killed Clint as much as Loki did and that is something I'll have to bear with me for the rest of my life, so don't even _speak_ of guilt on your part."

Thor only inclined his head. It was never a good idea to argue with a woman scorned and aggrieved, nor what it really his place to express his emotions right now.

"We are in a difficult position," Fury said, trying to draw away Natasha's attention from Thor and Loki, "never before have we been attacked on such a personal level, but we _must_ keep our heads clear. Loki can still be stopped before there is any more bloodshed."

"How?" Tony cracked. "We've tried everything. We are getting nowhere with trying to track his scepter. Loki over there might be doing his best, but it's not getting us any results and we all know that we'll find nothing at the warehouse where Clint died."

Natasha lowered her gaze when Tony said those words as if he was detached from it all.

"Tony is right," Bruce sighed, "look at where we are! Pepper is in the hospital, having been through hours of surgery because other Loki set a monster on her. I have killed 21 people myself because of him, but their deaths are completely on me. Natasha has been forced to murder the one person in she trusted more than anyone else the world. We lost Clint, Nick! How are we supposed to go on fighting? We're not brainless robots. We are all exhausted, physically, but more importantly, emotionally."

"And that is what he wants," Fury replied steadily, "if we give up, Loki has won."

"He already has won," Natasha said emptily. Before Fury could reply, she turned around and left the room. None knew where she was heading to, but none even thought about following her. She was grieving and solitude was something everyone craved at this moment.

"We all need rest," Fury said, his gaze sliding across every face, "as long as you all stay inside Stark Tower, you should be safe."

"It's not me I am worried about," Thor said.

"Jane and her friends are safe as well," Fury assured the thunderer, "only a handful of people know where she is."

"As if that ever stopped Loki," Bruce countered. He too stood from the table. "But I agree with Fury; we need rest. Just a few hours of sleep might just be what we need. We're not going to find Loki tonight anyway, not while we are all so tired."

"I agree with Banner," Tony said and he too stood, "I'll see you all in the morning."

"_Early_ morning," Bruce corrected him.

Fury only nodded and watched the two of them leave.

"Goodnight," Steve sighed, knowing that the night would be short and restless. He too left the room.

Only Thor, Loki and Fury remained. The director slowly turned around to face them. His face was stern, his eye almost murderous. He clearly disliked having his band of superheroes so worked up and he clearly blamed the trickster for that.

"You should stay with Loki tonight," he told Thor almost reluctantly, "I fear this might not be the safest place for him at the moment."

Loki swallowed heavily. They had all seen Natasha's poisonous glances towards him.

"I will always protect him," Thor vowed, "from foes and friends alike."

"You do that," Fury said dismissively. He too left the room.

"I fear for what the morning shall bring," Thor sighed as he gazed at the timid figure of his brother, "you should get some sleep as well, Loki, there lay some difficult times ahead I fear."

Loki only nodded.


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Marvel-characters!**

**AN: Thank you so much for all your reviews! I'm glad so many of you are still enjoying this. I hope this newest chapter will be greatly enjoyed! Please let me know what you think of this. :)**

**~ The Opposites ~**

**Chapter 11**

With all that has been happening, Steve found it difficult to catch sleep. He tried to ease his mind, but his thoughts always drifted to his fellow Avengers; his friends. Every time he closed his eyes, he pictured Natasha's grief-stricken face. He could see the tears rolling down her cheeks. When he didn't think of her, he thought of Clint. He'd only known the archer for a few months, but he had always deeply respected him.

It was strange to think that he wouldn't speak him anymore. It was even stranger to realize that the next time the Avengers would gather, he wouldn't be standing at Natasha's side. Restlessly, Steve rolled onto his other side. He pulled his blanket higher to his face and squeezed his eyes shut. He really needed to get some rest. Tomorrow would bring another difficult day and there was no telling when he'd be able to sleep again. He really should use this opportunity.

For as long as Loki was out there, they were vulnerable. Every day could be their last. Again, Steve couldn't help but think of Clint. None had expected him to die when they had gotten up in the morning. Yet tomorrow they would awake and Clint wouldn't walk through the door, greeting Natasha first.

Knowing that it was pointless to try getting some rest, Steve opened his eyes and rolled onto his back. He sighed and stared at the ceiling. He wished there was something he could do. _Anything_! He wished he could help Natasha in some way. He wished he could help Tony and Pepper. He wished he could tell Bruce that hulking out at the park hadn't cost so many lives.

Most of all, he wished he didn't feel so damned useless.

"Can't sleep?"

Steve sat up in the blink of an eye. He recognized that voice so easily as if he had heard it only yesterday, but of course he knew it was impossible. His room was only barely lit, but his sight was adjusted. He stared at her fearing that if he shifted his eyes away, she would disappear. However, he thought himself mad and he was certain he was dreaming. Or perhaps he was hallucinating? Either way, he had to know whether she was imagined or not.

He moved to switch on his night-light and when he returned his gaze, he still found her standing near his door.

Peggy Carter had not changed at all since he had last seen her. Her shoulder-long, brown curls lay neatly around her face. Her full, red lips looked radiant against her fair skin. Her brown eyes were big and shone brilliantly. This was how Steve remembered her, almost to the very last detail. He was too stunned to reply. He blinked several times – almost hoping that she would disappear – but Peggy remained standing on the other side of his bedroom.

Perhaps he had gone completely crazy.

"You're not real," he breathed, never taking his eyes away from her, "I'm dreaming, aren't I?"

"Why do you assume that?" Peggy asked. Her voice sounded ever so smoothly. Almost too sweet. She crossed her hands before her chest and Steve only noticed now that she did not wear a military uniform. Instead, she wore a pretty red dress that fell to her knees. It was almost strange to see her like this.

Steve didn't know whether he should enjoy this or not. He wanted to be with Peggy – he wanted to speak with her and tell her everything he had gone through these past few months – but he also knew this was impossible. Peggy could _not_ be here!

"This is how I remember you," he said softly, looking into her kind eyes, "or how I _want_ to remember you. So either this is a dream, a very pleasant one, or…" He dreaded to think this. "Or it's finally my turn."

Peggy walked forward and sat down on the edge of his bed. Steve wanted to reach out to her, but she sat too far away. When he moved to sit closer, she lowered her gaze to her folded hands lying tensely in her lap. It made Steve stop dead in his tracks. She looked so sad right now and even though he wanted to comfort her, Steve thought this might not be the best idea. Perhaps he shouldn't allow himself to be sucked into this illusion.

"Your turn?" Peggy asked quietly, still not looking up from her lap.

Steve sucked in a deep breath. He kept telling himself she was not real. She _couldn't_ be. Peggy Carter would have been a very old woman if she'd lived to this day. Yet, he wanted to stare at her, he wanted to touch her and tell her he loved her…even if he knew she wasn't real.

He was starting to feel confused.

"This is Loki," he said somberly, "he is messing with my mind."

Peggy looked up. Her eyes bore into Steve's as if she tried to read his thoughts. "You don't want me to be here?" Her voice cracked a little near the end of the sentence. "I thought you would be happy to see me again."

"But you are _not_ real."

"What if I am?" Peggy stood, suddenly very defensive. "What if we have been given a second chance to be together? We never did go on that date."

Steve shook his head. "That is entirely impossible," he said stubbornly, "you make it sound like Loki is doing me a favor. He would never do that. Something more is going on, I can feel it."

"You don't want me." Peggy's eyes suddenly turned watery.

"How can you do this to her?"

Steve whipped his head around to find Bucky Barnes standing a few feet away from him. He stood by the window, the pale moonlight illuminating his entire face. He looked just like Steve remembered him. Unlike Peggy, he wore a military uniform. He had hard eyes and a stubble adorning his cheeks and chin, his broad shoulders emphasized his length. Normally, he would sport a kind, handsome smile, but not now.

Bucky had a deep frown covering his face which always made him look so angry. He crossed his arms over his chest and looked venomously at his best friend.

"Can't you see you've hurt her?" Bucky walked towards Peggy and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "It's all right, Peggy, we should have known this would happen."

"_What_?" Steve breathed. He was not prepared for this.

"I waited for you," Peggy said as she cried silently. Thick tears ran down her cheeks, completely ruining her make-up. "Did you know that I waited years for you? I knew you were alive somehow – somewhere - so I searched. I _never_ gave up."

Steve buried his face in his hands and refused to look at them. He was so sure they were fake, but at the same time, they appeared so real. The way they spoke, the things they said, how they looked… Steve would have given everything just to spend more time with them, but now he finally could and he felt repulsed. Not because of them, but because of himself. This could be a gift, but all he did was ruin it.

"You let me die," Bucky said in a harsh tone, still having a hand on Peggy's shoulder. It slid down, now caressing her upper arm. Peggy turned towards him and pressed her face into his shoulder. Bucky embraced her, but never let his gaze fall away from Steve. "I almost survived the war, but you show up and I _die_. Have you ever felt guilty about that?"

"Of course," Steve heard himself say. He couldn't help but answer. He looked back at his best friend, only thinking that he missed him terribly. Living in this new world would be much easier if he had him. And Peggy. "I never stopped feeling guilty."

"But why would you care now," Bucky retorted, his eyes glaring daggers at him, "you have new friends, a new band of brothers. You've long forgotten about us, haven't you? Even right now, you wish we weren't here."

Steve bit down on his tongue. It was difficult to convince himself that he was dreaming. It all felt very real. The hurt he felt was definitely real. "I am sorry," he said, his gaze shifting between Bucky and Peggy, "I am sorry for everything."

Peggy pulled herself out of Bucky's embrace. "I grew so old, Steve," she said, disgust in her voice, "at some point, I wanted to move on, but I couldn't. So I grew older and older until no one wanted me anymore. I could have lived a full life with a husband and children, but you stole that away from me."

"He steals many things," said another voice.

Steve swallowed heavily as he turned his gaze towards the third appearance: Howard Stark. Every time he looked at Tony, he thought of how much he resembled his father, but now he realized they were nearly identical. Not only in appearance, but in character. But now Howard conjured a smile that never reached his eyes. It made him look so cold, so calculated. So…unlike him. The brilliant scientist moved to stand with Bucky and Peggy.

Now Steve truly wanted it to end. This was one very long nightmare and he knew it had been constructed by Loki. It frightened him that the trickster could dig so deep into his mind and at the same time, those three friends frightened him. This was not how he wanted to remember them. This was not something he wanted to add to his memory.

"I have to wake up," he told himself, "I really have to wake up now."

"Why?" Howard Stark asked. "Don't you enjoy our company?"

Steve closed his eyes and shook his head. "This isn't real," he muttered to himself, "this is _not_ real. This is _not_ real!"

"All the time my son grew up," Howard said, ignoring Steve's mantra, "I wished he was more like you. Honorable, kind, compassionate, modest, gentle, devoted. I could go on, but you get my point. I wanted Tony to be like you, but when I realized that could never be the case – that Tony was his own authentic person – it was too late. I'd pushed him away and I died in a car-accident while he thought I was never proud of him."

Steve swallowed heavily. He didn't want to listen to any of this, but that was impossible. "This is not real," he kept repeating, "this is all part of Loki's plan. None of you are real."

Peggy stepped forward until she was only a few inches away from him. Steve could feel her warm breath on his lips and he had to fight to urge to kiss her. He had only kissed her once – his only kiss really. Carefully, he lifted his hand, but he hesitated to touch her. While he knew she was not real –she really wasn't! – he was afraid that if he tried to place his hand on her cheek, she would dissolve into thin air.

"Can't you see what you have done to us?" She whispered into his ear. "How you have hurt us? How you have ruined our lives?"

Steve closed his eyes. "I would undo it all if I had the chance."

"No," Peggy countered determinedly, "you are content with where you are. You enjoy being an Avenger, you enjoy your newfound friends. They are stronger than us, _better_ than us."

"No!"

Out of nowhere, Peggy held a dagger in hand which she planted deep inside Steve's side. The Captain gasped for air and instinctively grabbed Peggy's hands to prevent her from hurting him more. His eyes widened as he stared into Peggy's eyes. They revealed only disgust and anger. Steve couldn't breathe anymore, nor could he speak. He felt trapped, physically and mentally. He could feel the glares of his friends on him and they all looked pleased when they noticed the blood dripping from his side.

"I hope it hurts," Bucky hissed, "you deserve nothing less."

"I don't love you anymore," Peggy said, "I finally woke up from my naïve, childish dream. You are nothing anymore, Steve, nothing but one big disappointment."

She pulled her hands free from Steve's loosening grasp and moved to stab him again only-

-Steve awoke with a jolt – and quite possibly a startled cry. He desperately tried to suck in air and found that his entire body trembled. He hesitantly pulled up his shirt and to his relief, found his skin intact. He had been right after all. He had dreamed it all, yet it had seemed so real. He felt shaken and slightly confused. He brought both hands to his face and found it wet with sweat.

The door to his bedroom opened and Tony appeared with a frown on his tired-looking face. "What to hell is going on in here?"

"Huh?"

"I heard you scream," Tony said grumpily.

"Oh." Now Steve felt slightly embarrassed. "It was nothing, just a nightmare."

"A nightmare?"

"About old friends," Steve sighed, still remembering every detail of the dream. He hoped he could forget it quickly, but he somehow doubted it. It was one of those nightmares that stuck with you for the next few years. One that could creep up on you when you let your thoughts wander and make you feel sick in your stomach.

"They said dreadful things…" Steve wasn't sure he wanted to confide in Tony with this.

"Oh really?" Tony replied coldly. "We're losing people out there. There is a madman – a mad God - going after every person we love and care for! Clint died to today and Pepper, the woman I love, lies in the hospital, but you… " He scoffed. "You're haunted by ghosts of your past? You wake up from a nightmare and you're so shaken by it?"

Tony sounded hostile. Steve didn't understand what was happening.

"That is pathetic. Grow up, Steve," Tony sneered, "I thought you were Captain America."

With those words he left Steve's bedroom. Steve could only stare at the space where only a second ago, Tony had stood. He felt…deeply offended by him. He tried to understand Tony's reaction – everyone was worked up after all – but that did not give him to right to treat him so dishonorably.

Angrily, Steve pushed aside his blanket and hurried into the hallway, but Tony had apparently already retreated into his own bedroom.

Another door opened and Bruce stuck his head out. "What's going on?" he asked sleepily.

"Nothing," Steve said through gritted teeth, still reeling from Tony's words, "go back to sleep, Bruce, you can still rest for a few hours."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah."

Bruce closed his bedroom door again and left Steve standing alone in the hallway, his hands balled into fists and his face pale with shock and anger. His nightmare still sent shivers down his back and thinking about it made him reach for his side where Peggy had 'stabbed' him. Yet, it was Tony's words that agitated him the most. What had happened to Pepper was absolutely dreadful – what had happened to Clint even more! - but what Loki had done to _him_ – giving him this nightmare – had greatly unsettled him.

It physically pained him to remember Peggy's cutting words. He felt slightly nauseous when he recalled Bucky and Howard's spiteful and disappointed faces.

So was his pain any less real than Tony's?

Steve didn't think so, but apparently Tony – and probably the other Avengers - found his pain ridiculous.

Now he felt more alone and lost in this great new world. It was such a devastating thought.

~ o ~

Just outside Stark Tower, Loki stood. He gazed up towards the top floors of the building and smiled.


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Marvel-characters!**

**AN: Thank you for the reviews! I wasn't sure whether last chapter worked out so well, but apparently most of you found Steve's punishment cruel. Leave it to Loki to be inventive like that. He has more up his sleeve though so here is the newest chapter and I hope it will be enjoyed!**

**~ The Opposites ~**

**Chapter 12**

The morning was hectic and Loki wished he could retreat to his chamber again, but Thor would have none of it. He wanted his little brother at his side at all times and Loki was certain that might actually be the best course of action. He didn't like the way Natasha kept glaring at him – even though he couldn't blame her – so he did feel a little safer with Thor around.

"Wait, wait, wait," Fury said dismayed, "are you telling me you had a hit on Loki's scepter last night?"

Bruce pinched the bridge of nose as he held his glasses in his left hand. "Yes, that's exactly what I'm saying. It was late last night and the signal was very weak, but it was definitely a match. It surprises me no alarm went off."

"This is unsettling," Thor chimed in, his arms crossed before his chest. Every other moment, he glanced at Loki who kept himself at the sidelines. They exchanged sorrowful glances. "If what you say is true, then that means Loki was in the neighborhood during the night. Who knows what mischief and evil he had done."

"Not just in the neighborhood," Bruce corrected the thunderer, "Loki was definitely somewhere around this building."

"It was for me," Steve said.

He sat at the head of the oval table, leaning back in his chair and looking extremely tired. He had dark circles under his eyes and his hair looked disheveled. It was very unlike the Captain and Loki had instantly seen that he hadn't been able to rest properly – none had been able to do so. Yet there lay something hidden in those blue eyes, something Loki hadn't quite understood. It seemed this was it.

"Loki tried to mess with my head," the Captain added.

"Really?" Natasha sounded alarmed. Her eyes landed on her sidearm for a second before she focused on Steve again. "What did he do to you?"

Steve bit on his tongue and glanced around the room. His eyes landed on Tony for a few long seconds.

Loki instantly picked up on some underlying issues – he had always had a talent for that. It was well known that the Captain and Iron Man hadn't gotten off on the right foot when the Avengers had first been called together, but Loki thought they'd become friends after a while. They had been able to work together well enough to stop him and his army of Chitauri all those months ago. If Loki wasn't mistaken now, he could actually see soreness in Steve's eyes. Had something new happened between them?

"I know you will all think this pathetic and fatuous," Steve said lowly, "but Loki…gave me a sort of nightmare."

Bruce's eyes widened with enlightening. "That's why you were up during the night _and_ why looked spooked."

"Yes," Steve said unenthusiastically. He looked pained and miserable. "_Spooked_ is the right word. I dreamt of Peggy, the woman I loved during the war. I saw Bucky, my best friend who only felt animosity towards me. I saw…" He hesitated. "I saw Howard Stark. It felt like I was haunted by ghosts, but apparently that's childish."

"No," Natasha countered, frowning as she clearly didn't understand Steve's defensiveness, "that's not childish. I can't begin to imagine to imagine what it must be like to dream of people you lost, only for the dream to turn into a nightmare."

It was obvious who Natasha was thinking of, but none dared to voice it.

Tony decided to join in. His voice was kind when he spoke. "You shouldn't allow yourself to be so worked up by it. That's what Loki wants."

Good Loki watched the entire scene from a safe distance and he noticed the strain on every relationship in this room. At times, it was starting to resemble apathy. He had to hand it to his counterpart. If throwing these men off balance was his objective, then it was working splendidly. He wished he could do something to restore it all, but at this point, he knew that whatever he said would not be heard.

After a short moment of silence, Steve jumped up from his seat. His face had turned white with anger. Everyone looked at him in shock. "Perhaps I shouldn't be so worked up by it," he snarled, "but I can't help how I feel. You don't know what it's like to be faced with friends turned foes. They felt like my own personal demons so excuse me for being greatly unsettled by it."

Tony became very worried. "No one is saying-"

"I have no need for your hypocrisy, Tony." He was breathing hard at this point. His eyes flitted across the room, only finding frowns and confusion. The Captain seemed somehow offended by it all. "I need air."

Before anyone could respond – or try to calm the Captain - he was out of the door.

The other Avengers stared at the spot where Steve had stood only seconds ago. They went on to exchange bewildered and stunned glances. It was well known that Steve Rogers did not lose control of his temper like this. He was a strong man, psychically and mentally, but apparently, Loki had truly gotten to him last night.

"Someone should go and talk to him," Bruce proposed. He looked at Tony for a moment and added, "But not you. Steve seemed particularly angry with you."

Tony shrugged. "I didn't say anything wrong, did I?"

Natasha shook her head. "Stay here, I'll go talk to him." She stood and pointed at Bruce and Tony. "You two should try and locate Loki's scepter again. He slipped through our fingers once and I would hate for that to happen again. I still have unfinished business with him."

~ o ~

Steve felt like his mind wasn't working properly. He had thoughts of his own, but they all felt just a shade darker. Loki's manipulation was very evident and even though Steve was aware of this, he couldn't really fight it. Besides, he didn't even know whether his feelings were planted within him by Loki or whether they were his own, but…simply enhanced. He felt angry – almost furious. He felt disappointed and left-out.

Most of all, he felt confused.

He had lost his place in this world the moment he hit the ice years ago and until yesterday he had felt like he was slowly earning his place back, but that was now shattered. He had no friends, only allies. There was an important distinction to be made there.

Without realizing, Steve found himself standing outside, just before Stark Tower. The fresh air was welcoming and since the morning was still extremely young, not a lot of people were walking on the curb. Those that were already making their way to their work widened their eyes when they saw the Captain standing there, but none dared to approach him. They probably saw in his eyes that he wished to be left alone at this point.

Out of nowhere, four doombots appeared. Each grabbed onto the Captain and made it nearly impossible for him to escape. But Steve was not one to easily give up and with a swirl he managed to twist himself away from the doombots. He wished he had his shield, but he wasn't even wearing his protective uniform. He wasn't even wearing _shoes_!

A doombot jumped forward and Steve ducked to avoid getting captured. However, one of the other robots managed to hit him on the back of his head. Thousands stars began to shine before his eyes and Steve tried to blink them away. He was thrown off balance and the robots seized the opportunity to knock him out cold.

Steve welcomed the darkness as he ignored a female voice crying out his name.

~ o ~

Loki gently tugged at his brother's arm. Thor had been focused on his fellow Avengers, a frown on his face the entire time, but Loki needed to speak with him now. He had been patient enough. When Thor turned to look at him, he didn't look annoyed. In fact, he looked concerned and even a bit curious.

"What is it, Loki?" He asked softly so that the others could not hear them.

Loki was grateful that Thor didn't make their conversation a public one.

"I fear for you," he replied softly, "you are the only left. My counterpart will come after you now or more so; he'll come after the ones you love."

Thor nodded uneasily. "That is true," he sighed, "Jane and her friends have been brought to safety, but I fear that might not be enough."

"He'll find her," Loki said sadly, "and a few of SHIELD's best agents won't stop him. Look at how far he's come already. I do not want to see you get hurt through her."

Thor stared into Loki's light green eyes. "I believe I have grown used to your constant worrying about me," he admitted almost regretfully. "Will that still be so when you and the other one have been put together again?"

Loki didn't know what to answer to that.

"You are a good brother," Thor assured him with a genuine, warm smile, "together we can be great. When the Allfather puts you back with your counterpart, you must stay strong. You _must_ get the upper hand. Promise me you will fight, Loki."

Thor's words felt like a heavy burden and Loki lowered his gaze. He began to fiddle with his hands. That has always been a sign of nerves, but this time he looked fearful as well. "I cannot make promises I might not be able to keep."

"I understand," Thor said, "just know that I am rooting for you. You are the brother I love and care for. You are the son our parents love and care for. It might not seem that way, but Asgard has missed you since you fell from the bridge. You were always mischievous and your tricks made many laugh."

"And cry." Loki couldn't help but remember Sif bawling her eyes out when he had cut of her hair when they were young. Sometimes, he simply hadn't known where to draw a line between a trick and revenge. Sif had been mean to him and Loki had only cared for hurting her back. But he had been punished for his actions.

Would he be punished for the actions of his counterpart this time? It seemed only fair since someone had to be punished. Yet he had nothing to do with it. He was trying to _help_ the Avengers. If he was to get punished – along with the other one – he could consider it punishment for not being good enough.

"I have made people around me cry as well." Thor looked half sad and half amused. It was a strange sight. "Only months ago I greatly disappointed our mother and father. If father had not banished me for what I had done, there is no telling where I would be now."

"But again, I manipulated you," Loki admitted, "I played you and you fell into my trap."

Thor shook his head. "In the end, it was my decision to go to Jotunheim that day. It was entirely _my_ _fault_ that I got banished."

The thunderer reached out and placed a hand in Loki's neck. It was a kind, brotherly gesture that he had often shown during their youth and adulthood. Last time Thor had done this, Loki had leaned away from him. He had psychically tried to push away his brother, but now he welcomed the gesture. It was very reassuring and comforting.

Suddenly, the elevator-doors opened and Natasha rushed in.

"They took Steve!" She shrieked and instantly, her eyes fell on Loki. Clearly she blamed him for everything – as usual - and Loki couldn't help but hold onto his brother's touch. "There were doombots and they took Steve!"

"It seems he wasn't done with him yet," Tony breathed. He was already making his way to where his iron suit was stored. "We have to find him. _Now_."

They could only agree.

~ o ~

Steve awoke violently when he felt an electric shock course through his body. The first few seconds were painful, but the feeling quickly subsided. When he managed to focus his gaze, he found Loki standing a few feet away from him, his scepter firmly in his hand. The trickster – the name truly did not do the madman any justice anymore – looked at him with a bored expression.

"I was beginning to fear you wouldn't wake," Loki drawled, lifting a hand as to examine his nails, "now that would have put a damper on my mood."

Steve's breathing quickened and he wished he could control it better. Normally, he didn't panic this easily, but he been running around on the tips of his toes for these past few hours. He truly wished he had gotten a good night's rest. He felt tired and wanted to close his eyes for only a moment, yet he feared for what Loki would do to him then. He didn't want to receive another electric blow from that scepter.

He dared to look around and found himself and Loki in a spacious, old room. There was dust everywhere which explained why Steve had difficulty breathing. There were two windows letting in as much sunlight as possible, but the windows were located high in the wall and Steve couldn't look outside. He had no idea where he was. An old abandoned factory perhaps? A half destroyed warehouse?

Steve couldn't help but think that Clint had died in a room like this.

"What do you want?" He snarled at Loki.

Loki smirked and dropped his hand while his gaze focused entirely on Steve's face. His grip on the scepter tightened. He walked forward and began to circle the Captain. "You truly have no patience," he mused, "nor do you have any self-control at this point. I can actually see the tremble in your arms."

Indeed, Steve wished he could bring his arms down – and hit Loki in the face in the process– but his hands had been bound above his head. The soles of his feet barely touched the floor beneath him. At the moment, the standing position wasn't that uncomfortable, but Steve hoped he wouldn't be forced to stand like this for hours. Otherwise, he would soon be in agony.

"I had fun with you last night," Loki came to stand before Steve again and winked, "I have always preferred mind games above physical play. It makes a man's mind more vulnerable, more open. It certainly makes my task easier now."

Steve gritted his teeth together. Rage boiled in his veins, but at this point in time, it was useless. He couldn't break the chains holding him in place, making him believe that Loki had enchanted them.

He repeated his question again, "What do you want?"

This time, his voice sounded like that of a snake.

Loki chuckled. "You truly hate me, don't you?"

There was no point in lying.

"Yeah, I do."

Loki lowered his voice until it sounded no more than a painful hiss. "You'll hate me even more after this."

Again, Steve tried to pull himself free. He actually tried to get away from Loki since he scared him. Loki looked like a wounded snake ready to strike. He appeared uncontrolled and impulsive. Steve was starting to understand that he should have appreciated good Loki more because this one…this one was absolutely insane.

"You can't break me," Steve said. He wasn't sure whether he was warning Loki or whether he assuring himself of this fact. He didn't even know if he was lying. "You can torture me all you want, but I will never break."

"Oh, but you already have," Loki said, clearly amused, "the power of my scepter is great, but sometimes, it can't even twist the minds of the most powerful. Yesterday, you still had hope, you felt strong, but last night you lost a bit of yourself. How are you feeling, Captain? Do you still feel strong? Or are you feeling exhausted? Feeling alone and abandoned?"

Steve held his breath. He hated that Loki knew him so well.

"That's what I thought," Loki smiled elated. He raised his scepter and the Captain tried to move away from the weapon, but his efforts were pointless. "That nightmare visibly shook you. It made your very foundations tremble. Tony's reaction was a bit uncalled for, wasn't it?"

Steve frowned. How could Loki know about that? According to Bruce's earlier findings, Loki had never actually been inside the building. There was no way he had actually been inside Stark Tower to observe everything. Loki's mind games had ended the moment Steve had awoken from the nightmare. Unless…

Steve was horrified.

"You're smarter than most give you credit for," Loki taunted when he understood Steve had figured it out. "The dream was just foreplay really. A bit of fun."

"Tony was a projection as well," Steve breathed.

"Of course!" Loki was absolutely marveling. "I had to make you feel miserable for my plan to work and everyone knows you and Tony have never been the best of friends. Good allies and all, but never truly _friends_. It could only ever be him that managed to make you feel…weak. But you matter little now. There is only one Avenger left and I will have my vengeance. However, Thor is so well protected as are his friends and loved ones. I need someone to distract the Avengers for me and the using the doombots would be ever so dull."

Steve suddenly felt very uncomfortable.

Loki raised his scepter and placed its tip against Steve's chest.

"Has anyone ever told you that you have heart?"


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Marvel-characters!**

**AN: Thank you so much for your kind reviews! They are what keep me inspired. There is truly no telling what will happen next or how evil Loki will finally be stopped… You'll just have to wait and see. This is a quick update (yay!), but I can't promise I can keep up with this pace. The next chapter will come around Thursday or Friday (I think). Please enjoy this next chapter.**

**~ The Opposites ~**

**Chapter 13**

Loki smiled as a brainless doombot unchained Steve Rogers. The Captain's eyes had always been blue, but now they appeared highly unnatural. The Avengers would instantly understand what had happened to their friend, but it mattered not. After all, Steve was only a distraction; a tool to be easily discarded.

Loki walked towards his new pet and circled around him. Steve didn't move and he certainly didn't feel threatened or frightened. He simply kept his back straight and his chin high. He folded his hands behind his back and kept his feet together. Every muscle in his body looked tense. He appeared like a true soldier, except for his clothing.

"Marvelous," Loki muttered to himself. He had never before had a soldier under his control so it would be interesting to see how well Steve would handle this situation. Loki cleared his throat and went to stand before him. "You know where to find the Avengers. Go to them and keep them occupied."

Steve's blue eyes connected with Loki's dark green ones. He nodded curtly. "I will."

Loki extended his hand and waited for another doombot to hand him a weapon. Mortals had always preferred using ordinary weapons – or maybe they were simply too stupid to invent anything else - but Loki assumed the Captain was quite handy with gun. He had fought in a war after all. It was a shame he couldn't give Steve his shield, but the Captain would just have to find it once he returned to Stark Tower.

"Do try to kill someone with this," Loki ordered sternly, "do _not_ disappoint me."

"I won't," Steve replied emotionless. He took the gun from Loki and placed it safely away. He nodded his head again before turned around and walking out of the room.

Loki smiled contently. _This day could prove to be ever so interesting_, he thought. He certainly couldn't wait to rip the Avengers apart, piece by piece. They were near their breaking point, every single one of them and Loki had to land the next blow carefully and – more importantly - _precisely_. He wanted to cause permanent damage, not something the Avengers would shrug off in a few days. He wanted all of them to suffer like he had.

And Loki was not known as a quitter. He would get what he wanted.

~ o ~

With Clint gone and Steve missing, the remaining Avengers felt oddly vulnerable. Loki could see it clearly in their eyes. He didn't know if they realized how openly they showed their emotions at this point. Perhaps they simply didn't care anymore. For the past few days, they had always remained very guarded and hostile around Loki, but even that had faded a bit now. They appeared to have no energy left to hate him.

It was only another sign of how broken they were.

Fury walked towards Thor who still refused to leave Loki alone. His one good eye revealed only focus and severity. He too suffered with his Avengers, but the blows other Loki landed were never truly personal to the director. Losing Clint was difficult for everyone, but Fury had lost men before. He had the power to put everything in another perspective. It's what made him able to stay on target: protecting innocent people, helping the Avengers and finding evil Loki.

"I doubled the security around Jane's safe house," he told Thor, "she, along with Darcy and Eric, should be all right for the next few hours."

Thor bowed his head with gratitude. "Thank you. It is horrible of me to think this, but I believe that as long as the Captain is missing my friends will be safe."

"I've thought that too," Fury admitted, "but I don't want to take any chances. They are civilians after all and it my duty to keep them safe. Besides, we know Loki will go after them in the end so better safe than sorry."

Loki's focus shifted away from his brother and the director to the other remaining Avengers. He didn't know why he suddenly found them more interesting. Perhaps it was the way they had their backs turned towards him and Thor. It all seemed rather secretive and…sensitive. Loki wanted to walk closer in order to hear what they were saying, but that meant he had to leave the safety of his brother's presence which was not a risk he was willing to take. Besides, he figured that whatever they were saying was not meant for his ears.

Suddenly, Natasha looked over her shoulder and looked directly into Loki's questioning eyes. She glared at him – as she always did – before turning back to her fellow Avengers and guiding them outside. The door clicked audibly into place behind them. Fury and Thor paused their conversation when they noticed the others had stepped outside. Then they decided they probably had reasons for doing so. They easily continued their talk about how they were keeping Thor's friends safe.

With the others currently outside, Loki felt a weight fall off his chest. He felt he could breathe better. He slowly walked towards the door where Natasha and the others had just walked through, but quickly halted when he had a clear sight of them through a small window. He didn't want them to notice him. Natasha, Tony and Bruce stood in a small circle in the hall, their arms crossed before their chests and their eyes betraying concern, anger and fear.

Loki wished he could hear what they were saying. It was easy to deduce what they were talking about, however, or more importantly who they were discussing. His own name often fell from their lips.

With a heavy sigh, Loki turned his back to them and looked at Thor and Fury. They were still discussing Avengers-matters and Loki had no interest in that. Instead, he let himself fall down in the nearby couch and let his head fall back against the softness of the cushions. He hadn't realized it before, but he felt tired. After all, he hadn't slept well last night. But now he dared to close his eyes for a moment and he felt himself drift away.

However, it wasn't sleep that was calling to him…

…it was something much darker.

He found himself standing in a small dusty room. He moved around easily, but Loki knew it wasn't because he wanted to move. Someone else was controlling him. It took him a moment to realize that he was no longer in his own body. He was with his counterpart again, seeing and hearing what evil Loki was currently seeing and hearing.

It was utterly frightening and Loki tried to pull himself back again, but he was stuck. He felt trapped in a fractured and poisoned mind.

"_Do try to kill someone with this_," Loki heard himself say, though his voice sounded alien. It was much deeper and it had a sharp edge to it. "_Do not disappoint me_."

The Captain stood before him and Loki tried to reach out to him. He tried to say his name and shake him from his counterpart's mind control, but Loki was merely a passenger in this body.

"I won't," Steve said. He looked completely apathetic. Loki had used mind control before – he dreaded thinking of what he'd done to Clint Barton and Eric Selvig months ago – but this form of control somehow seemed worse. It was known that his counterpart had powerful magic and Loki actually enjoyed thinking that it was he that kept him under control when they were one and the same person.

It was he that kept them sane. Partially at least.

Loki witness how Steve took the gun he was holding. The Captain turned around and walked out of the room. Loki didn't know why he tried again, but he attempted yelling for the Captain. If he could somehow stop him – help him – then he would have helped the Avengers as well. They would be grateful and Loki wouldn't feel so worthless.

But nothing happened when Loki tried to speak or move. His counterpart merely walked out of the musty smelling room, not aware that he was currently not alone in his mind, and faced at least forty doombots. The sight was impressive, even more so because every robot instantly turned towards him. The sound of metal on metal only made it more imposing.

"_Have you found Thor's pets for me_?"

A doombot stepped forward. "We have, but they are heavily guarded by SHIELD-agents."

"_When has that ever stopped you from pleasing your master? It took you long enough to find them in the first place!_"

"We will steal them for you," the same doombot said, bowing his metallic head. He clearly understood evil Loki was not happy with them. "We only live to serve you."

"_I enjoy hearing that, but that doesn't bring Jane before me. Get out of here, you weasels, and don't return unless you have something I want_."

"Yes, master."

With a shock, Loki found himself back at Stark Tower. Thor's face was only inches away from his and he had both hands firmly on his shoulders. His blue eyes stood wide with fear. Loki quickly realized Thor must have noticed his odd behavior. The strain on his shoulder told him Thor had actually shook him. That had forced him to leave his counterpart's mind. A part of him was extremely relieved to be back, but he also wished he could have stayed longer in the other's mind. It would definitely have given them more answers.

"Are you okay?" Thor asked.

Loki nodded. "He is after Jane," he explained quickly, knowing that there was little time to lose, "he has the Captain under his control and he is supposed to distract you all. Steve is coming here as we speak, but my counterpart has sent doombots to retrieve your friends, Thor, you _must_ go to them."

Thor turned his gaze from Loki to Fury. There was a short silence.

"Go to them," Fury said, "take Tony with you. The rest will stay behind to face Steve."

"Thank you," Thor said. He grabbed his hammer and a flash of lightening appeared outside. It showed Thor's anger and when heavy thunder followed, Loki knew that his brother was using his anger as a power-source. Thor moved away, his grip only tightening on Mjolnir, but Loki quickly grabbed his arm, forcing him to turn around again.

"What is it, Loki?"

"Let me come with you," Loki said softly, "I might be able to help."

He could see the conflict in Thor's eyes.

"I won't be safer here," he added, deciding he could use that conflict to his advantage. It was the first time he tried to manipulate his brother since he had been separated from his darkness, but it was strangely easy for Loki to do this. "If I were to stay here, then there is none to protect me, but if I come with you to Jane, then I might be able to help in some way. My counterpart must have a weakness, Thor, and I am your best chance at finding it."

Thor swallowed heavily, his grip on his hammer loosening for a second. "You stay by my side the entire time," he finally replied, "I want to keep an eye on you so I can protect you if necessary. Promise me you'll stay with me!"

"I promise."

"Then let's go."

~ o ~

"So what did you want to talk about?" Bruce asked as soon as he, Tony and Natasha stood in the hall.

He crossed his arms before his chest. He didn't feel entirely comfortable with the situation since they were clearly leaving Thor and Fury out of this conversation. He had never enjoyed secrecy, certainly not in times like this, but Natasha had been adamant she needed so speak with them in private. It had appeared very serious, but Bruce could already guess what it was about. Everything was about Loki lately.

"I never had the chance to tell you this," Natasha began, looking very guarded, "but before Clint died, he made me promise something."

Tony frowned slightly. He too crossed his arms before his chest. "Promise what?"

"At first I didn't think I could actually do it," Natasha explained, "but I've given it a lot of thought and it just seems…logical."

"What does?" Bruce asked.

"Killing Loki."

Tony was clearly taking aback by Natasha's harsh statement and Bruce felt the same way. He had to admit he had imagined getting his hands on that annoying little God, but he would never actually be able to kill someone, certainly not when that someone was Thor's brother. The last thing he wanted was to be faced with one angry God of Thunder. He could go head to head with Thor – at least the Hulk could – but Bruce just didn't want to do that him as his friend.

"_What_?" he breathed.

"Think about it," Natasha said with wide eyes that only spoke of conviction, "if we kill evil Loki, then all that remains is good Loki. Wouldn't that be better for everyone? Thor would have gained a good brother, one that loves him unconditionally. The Loki in the other room isn't vengeful and he doesn't hate everyone and everything. Other Loki is wretched and by killing him we'd be doing the universe a favor."

"So you promised Clint you would kill evil Loki," Tony said, needing Natasha to confirm it again.

"Yes," Natasha answered curtly, "don't tell me you haven't thought about it."

"I admit; yes, I have thought about it," Bruce said reluctantly, "but I would never actually _do_ it. I'm not a murderer."

"It's because of him you went on a killing spree in the park," Natasha said crudely.

Bruce was hurt by her words and the pain was apparently very visible in his eyes. He averted his gaze and bit down on his lower lip. He forced himself to stay calm and to remember that Natasha had been going through a lot lately, but that did not give her the right to blurt out something so hurtful.

"I'm sorry," Natasha said more gently, "I shouldn't have said that."

"No, you're right," Bruce sighed, "you only stated the truth."

"But killing Loki?" Tony shook his head and inhaled sharply. "I don't know, Natasha. He's done many things and if he gets heavily tortured somehow, I won't be rushing to his aid. I'll never forgive him for what he's done to Pepper, but _murder_?"

"It wouldn't be murder," Natasha countered, "not entirely. Loki would still live. We'd only be killing a bad part of him. I even believe good Loki might be grateful in the end. He wouldn't be forced to be joined with that bastard again. He could finally be accepted by his family. He would be _happier_."

"I don't think it's his happiness that's your main goal here," Bruce objected.

"Fine," Natasha cracked, "I just want to kill the son of a bitch that murdered Clint. I might have pushed that button, but I make myself no illusions of Loki's involvement. I don't wallow in self-pity. It is Loki's fault Pepper lays in the hospital and it's his fault 21 people died in Central Park. Steve is probably undergoing whatever torture Loki can concoct right now. He isn't even finished yet. Thor is still on his list!"

Bruce sighed. "I agree that we have to stop him no matter what and if killing him is the only way, then I'll gladly do it – or my alter ego will anyway – but I refuse to just kill him when he is somehow subdued."

"If he does become our prisoner somewhere down the line," Tony said, "then I won't kill either. We all know Thor won't let us anyway and I'm pretty certain that his father, the Allfather or whatever he is called, won't let us either."

Natasha balled her hands into fists. "That's _weak_," she sneered. Her venom was lost when tears invaded her eyes. "I promised Clint!"

Before anyone could answer, the door opened and Thor appeared.

"My brother has been inside his counterpart's mind again," he explained quickly, "Loki is going after Jane and I must stop him. Tony, you must come with me to aid me."

"What about us?" Bruce asked, confused. He knew he wasn't much use to the team, but the Hulk was. He had smashed Loki before and he could try and do it again. It wouldn't kill Loki, but it would at least render him powerless for a while.

"Steve has fallen under Loki's spell," Thor admitted regretfully, "and he is currently heading this way. He is meant to distract and stall us while Loki goes after the woman I love and friends I care for."

"Well," Natasha said, swallowing heavily and forcing her tears away. She seemed much more like the warrior-woman she normally was. She reached for the gun strapped to her thigh. "Then it's time for some cognitive recalibration."

**AN: There was supposed to be another part to this chapter, but then it would have become too long. I'll update as soon as possible. In the meantime, tell me what you think! It would make me ever so happy!**


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Marvel-characters!**

**AN: I know it has been a few days since I updated, but I haven't forgotten about this story! I just focused on my One!Shot (Your Ghost), but now I am back with this one. I hope you will enjoy the chapter and please let me know what you think.**

**~ The Opposites ~**

**Chapter 14**

This was an absolute nightmare. Jane was not getting any work done and the worst of all was that she wasn't allowed outside. She felt in need of some fresh air, but instead she was locked in a small house in the middle of nowhere. Every now and then, she raised her gaze and found three shield-agents staring at her. It was extremely intimidating and she wished they would just stop.

Forcing herself to focus on her scientific magazine, Jane exhaled slowly. She really wanted this madness to end. Most of all, she wanted to see Thor and hear his voice. She was completely aware of what was happening and she had to admit she felt scared, but she also had confidence in those shield-agents currently staring at her. If they couldn't protect her, Darcy and Eric then none could. With the exception of Thor, but he was currently trying to stop the very man who was after her.

It was such an unpleasant thought.

Footsteps sounded nearby and when Jane looked up, she found Darcy wandering into the room. She had a bored expression on her face and a large cup of coffee in her hands. That was never a good combination and Jane knew how much her friend hated this situation. Darcy never liked to be confided to one house. She had always been a person who demanded a lot of freedom.

"This is killing me!" Darcy expressed in a loud voice. She shot the three shield-agents a dirty look before flopping down on the couch beside her. She held out the cup of coffee for Jane to take. "Here, I made this for you."

"Oh," Jane was a bit surprised by that, "thank you."

"Well I have to keep myself busy in some way," Darcy said, although it sounded more like whining, "there isn't even Wi-Fi in here."

"I know," Jane said. She really wanted to check her mails and she dreaded to think what she would find in her inbox once she was allowed to return to the normal world. "But the situation will be resolved quickly."

"You spoke to Thor only hours ago and he wasn't getting any closer to finding his mad brother," Darcy pouted as she pulled up her knees to her chin. She wrapped her arms around them and inhaled deeply. "We could be stuck in this house for weeks."

Jane bit down on her lip, knowing that Darcy might just be telling the truth.

"This isn't what we signed up for, is it?"

Darcy shook her head and said, "But life certainly became more interesting."

"And dangerous."

Darcy turned a quarter so she had a better view at Jane. There lay nothing but sincerity in her eyes. "I heard what happened to Pepper Potts," she began cautiously, "apparently the crazy God got to her pretty good. She's still in the hospital. She was only attacked because she's so important to Tony Stark and-"

"_Stop_." Jane lifted a warningly finger. She was not in the mood to hear what potential danger she was in just because of who she was to Thor. "Nothing is going to happen to me, to _us_. There are three agents in this very room and another dozen outside. We are all safe."

Darcy bit on the inside of her cheek before muttering, "If you say so."

~ o ~

Natasha hated waiting, certainly in situations like this. The fact Thor had taken Loki with him unsettled her greatly. She knew the trickster was harmless at this point, but she always preferred to keep an eye on him herself. She was even beginning to doubt Thor was still thinking clearly about the entire situation. He trusted his brother – or at least this version of his brother - too much and Natasha felt she had to change that, but it was too late now.

She glanced sideways and caught Bruce's uncertain eyes.

They were all prepared to fight Steve, but none was particularly excited about. If Clint were still there, he would try and lighten a bit. He would crack a bad joke or tell an amusing tale. Natasha threw down her gaze and bit on her lower lip. Thinking of Clint was extremely painful and again it brought her to the subject of Loki.

She wanted to get her hands on him. She wanted to beat all life out of him, _choke_ all life out of him. Images of Loki shifted through her mind: one showed him lying motionless before her with blood streaming from his eyes and nose. She particularly enjoyed that small fantasy and she felt no shame for it. This was the closest she would get to her revenge that much she knew. Thor would never allow her to have a session with his brother and it seemed even her friends wouldn't allow it.

It was a great mystery why they all protected that son of a bitch. Or perhaps they were simply too scared of what Thor would do to them? It was a legitimate fear, but Natasha's anger outweighed that fear for the moment.

"This is strange, isn't it?" Bruce crossed his arms before his chest. He'd refused to carry a gun since chances were that he would simply hulk-out once tension rose beyond a certain point. There had even been some debate to whether or not he should be present, but in the end it was Bruce's decision and he was unlikely to leave his friends alone to face this threat.

"What is?" Natasha asked.

"Us waiting on Steve, knowing that he will try and kill us."

Natasha turned her head to look at Fury who appeared unimpressed.

"It is strange," she agreed, but that didn't mean she wasn't ready to fight. She took out her gun and checked if it was loaded. Once satisfied, she went on to make sure she carried enough spare-bullets. "But that doesn't mean we're afraid to fight."

"I know," Bruce quickly said, "I just hope no one gets hurt."

"I am more concerned about Thor's friends at the moment," Natasha replied, keeping her eyes on the elevator-doors. Steve was bound to arrive soon and they could expect he'd enter using his full force. She wasn't afraid to use full force herself.

JARVIS' voice sounded, "There is an intruder coming your way."

"Time to shine," Fury rumbled, already having a gun in his hands. He raised it so it was aimed at the elevator-doors. No one doubted he'd hesitate to open fire at the Captain if he posed too big of a threat.

The sound of the elevator rising echoed softly through the broad room they were all standing in. Natasha suddenly felt outnumbered. She and Fury could definitely stand their ground, but she feared the presence of Bruce would work in their disadvantage. Again she wished Clint was here with her.

After a long wait, the doors finally slid open and Natasha instantly had Steve under gunshot. One wrong movement and she could put a bullet in his shoulder.

"Drop your weapons," Fury ordered, "this doesn't have to get any messier."

Steve flashed them a broad grin and attacked.

~ o ~

It was only three in the afternoon and Darcy had already consumed about two liters of coffee. She really needed to stick with water for the rest of the day, but in her own defense, she had warned everyone what would happen when she grew bored. She had already bothered Eric for most of the morning and now Jane was focused on her scientific magazine again. She contemplated on watching some TV, but then she remembered they had no cable or satellite. This truly was the most boring place in on the planet…wherever that place was.

In a last feeble attempt to occupy herself, Darcy turned to one of the guards. He was a tall, broad man with a stern face that revealed little emotion. He could have been plucked straight out of a badass action movie.

She crossed her arms over her chest and bit down on her lip. Sure, she could strike up a conversation with the man, but what about? She doubted they had anything in common.

"So…" she began.

The guard turned towards her and his face softened. It was so unexpected that Darcy smiled at him. So perhaps there was truly a person hidden behind that face.

"Can I help you with something?" the guard asked.

"You could help me defeat my boredom," she replied, still smiling. She took a step closer to him and noticed that he had a small, thin scar running across his left temple. It was obvious this man was well trained and experienced.

"I would if I could," the guard said amiable, "but I have to maintain this position."

"Oh yeah," Darcy sighed, "because of the homicidal God."

The guard snorted lightly. "Exactly."

A soft thud sounded outside. It was nothing that caught Darcy by surprise. She simply turned towards the sound and huffed. "Stupid cats," she muttered.

However, she felt herself tense when the guard, once looking friendly and accessible, now reached for his gun and stepped towards the window. His eyes were hard and his lips only a thin, white line. He reached for his communicator and said something, but Darcy could not hear what it was.

"Is something wrong?"

The guard spun around and offered her a reassuring smile. "No need to worry, you are perfectly safe," he said as he made sure his gun was fully loaded, "but stay close."

There came burst of noise and Darcy heard herself shriek. She couldn't tell what all the noise was about, but she definitely heard the breaking of glass, the gasps and shouts of other guards and the slamming of doors. There were other noises she couldn't recognize and she refused to imagine what they meant.

"Yeah, I was planning to," she said without breath. She stepped towards the guard who pushed her behind his back in a very protective manner. It made her feel a bit safer. She tucked a few strands of hair behind her ears because she wanted a clear visual on everything that was happening around her. "We should find Eric and Jane."

The guard nodded and entered the next room. It was the small living room where only a moment ago Jane had been sitting on the couch, a blanket covering her legs and a hot cup of coffee in her hands. Now she stood with her back pressed against the wall and her hands covering half her face. She looked completely terrified and Darcy knew why. On the other side of the room stood two robots. They had come in via a second entrance. Blood trickled down their arms and hands and onto the floor. Three guards lay dead at their feet.

It was a gruesome sight.

Without hesitating Darcy ran towards Jane and clung onto her arm.

Not a second passed before one of the robots raised its arm and fired a silent beam of energy at the guard. When it hit him, it sent him flying back with a gaping hole in the middle of his chest. He was most definitely dead.

Darcy swallowed heavily, feeling panic rise up in her. Her hands began to tremble and her vision blurred slightly around the edges.

"We're going to be fine," Jane whispered to her although it might have been more of a reassurance for herself, "we're going to be _absolutely_ fine."

Darcy nodded, but kept her eyes firmly on the two robots. She knew she had seen them before on television, but she had never really bothered to pay attention. Didn't they belong to a crazy, superrich dictator? A doctor of some sort? Darcy's mind was too frenzied to come up with the answers.

Footsteps sounded to their right and both Jane and Darcy turned their heads. With fear – and a small amount of anger – they watched a third robot push Eric into the room. The older man quickly joined them. He had a nasty bruise covering the side of his face and Darcy knew he had tried to resist. This wasn't the first time Eric had dealt with this kind of situation. Last time, he had been a personal puppet to Loki. She knew he would rather die than to let that happen again.

Darcy didn't know what she preferred. She simply wished she could wake up from this nightmare and find herself in her own comfortable bed. She wished she was fast enough to outrun these freaks. She wished they were safe. She wished…most of all, she wished she could shoot laser-beams from her eyes and kill these robots.

"Are you okay?" Eric asked softly, his gaze shifting between Jane and Darcy.

"Thor will come," Jane said stubbornly, "he won't let us down."

A new voice joined the conversation, "Will he?"

Slowly Darcy let her gaze slide towards the newest presence. She had never before seen him, at least not in person. She had seen the reports on the news after the invasion and destruction of New York, but she had tried to avoid those after a while. Thor's brother was definitely taller than she had imagined him, but he had the vilest expression on his face that made her stomach churn painfully.

"Loki," Eric breathed.

"Good to see you again, professor," Loki grinned. There was not a hint of amusement in his eyes, only bitterness, malice and insanity. His eyes taunted them. "But I am so pleased to finally meet the famous Jane Foster."

Darcy instinctively tensed and tightened her hold on her friend's upper arm. Her other hand found Jane's and she was relieved that Jane instantly locked her fingers with hers. For some reason Darcy believed they were stronger together. They could _not_ let go of each other. They also found comfort with each other.

"My brother is ever so fond of you," Loki continued, his eyes trained on Jane, "you changed him, made him a better man. You made him weak and his affections for you will be both yours and his undoing."

"You will fail," Jane said in a hard voice. Her eyes betrayed fear, but most of all they stood ablaze with defiance. Darcy had always known Jane Foster was strong woman, also a very interesting woman and that was why she had been ever so excited to work with her…even though she was mainly interested in the six college credits.

Loki's eyes widened. Darcy wished he looked stunned to stumble across this resistance, but he only appeared more amused.

"You think I cannot kill you?"

"You can do whatever you want with us," Jane answered, her hand tightening around Darcy's as she spoke, "but Thor will stop you in the end."

"You're right," Loki's eyes brightened with new thoughts and Darcy feared what they entailed, "I _can_ do whatever I want. Our dear Eric Selvig knows this." He turned his attention to the professor. "You were such a great help last time, but I'm afraid I have different plans for you today." Before Eric could answer, Loki continued, "It astonishes me that Thor put all of your safety in the hands of some miserable mortals. I thought he cared for you. I thought he admired you, professor. I thought he loved you, Jane Foster. I thought-" When his cold eyes landed on Darcy, he narrowed them. "Actually, I do not know you."

"I'm Darcy." She raised her chin and looked straight into Loki's eyes. "Darcy Lewis."

"You're brave," Loki chuckled.

"We're not afraid of you," Jane interjected.

Now Loki made a high, cold and calculated sound. It was a laugh, but it was distorted and incredibly wretched.

"That is your first mistake."

Darcy watched how Loki nudged towards one of the robots. She could tell he had given him a silent order and she fearfully waited to see what the robot would do. She was afraid of what Loki would do to her and her friends. This was a nightmare coming to life. Quickly, she turned her body a quarter so that she faced Jane and Eric. Their presence gave her comfort, but she couldn't stop trembling or imagining everyone dead.

The robot stepped forward and before Darcy understood what was happening, she felt it snatch her away from Jane's grip. Jane and Eric instantly protested loudly, but two other robots took hold of them to keep them in place. A shriek escaped Darcy's lips even though she had wanted to stay calm. The robot's cold and hard grasp on her arms tightened as it brought her before Loki. She kept her mouth shut and she refused to cry.

"Do you fear me?" Loki asked.

Darcy nodded frantically, not daring to speak.

"Good." He nudged towards the robot holding her.

All that followed was agony and…

…nothing.

~ o ~

Jane screamed as she watched the robot plunge a knife in Darcy's back. She kicked out with everything she had, but she couldn't escape the doombot's grasp. Loki chuckled. He truly enjoyed toying with humans. The doombot standing before her let go of the girl who fell lifeless to the ground. He paid her no more attention since she was useless now. He had more attention for Jane and Eric. Seeing their anger, pain and confusion was truly amusing.

"Well, she will not be bothering us again," he said, slowly stepping towards the two remaining mortals, "I truly had no use for her. Thor barely spoke of her, he was much more infatuated with the two of you."

"You sick bastard!" Eric growled.

Loki smiled. "Seems you were quite fond of…what was her name again?"

"Darcy," Jane hissed, "her name was _Darcy_."

"Ah yes," Loki folded his arms behind his back and cocked his head to one side, "unmemorable really."

"You think you have won," Jane said through gritted teeth, "you think you are the cleverest, most cunning being in this universe, but you will lose _everything_. You will be stopped in any way possible. Thor will come and you will be sorry for everything!"

Loki was not intimated by Jane's words. Truly, they lost all of their meaning the moment she began to cry like a little, lost girl. He didn't understand what Thor saw in this mortal woman. She was probably very lovely in other circumstances, but not particularly beautiful, though she had something earthly about her. She was smart - for a mortal - but she easily broke down and she was clearly panicking right now.

He had expected much, _much_ more from her.

"You will curse the day you were born!" She spat.

Loki huffed with amusement. "And so will you."


	15. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Marvel-characters!**

**AN: I am so sorry for taking so long with this chapter. I've been on a vacation and getting back into writing was difficult. But here I am with a new chapter and I really, **_**really**_** hope you guys are still interested. I definitely haven't forgotten about this story. I hope the next update will come shortly. Maybe on Friday or Saturday.**

**Thanks to everyone who left me a kind and awesome review!**

**~ The Opposites ~**

**Chapter 15**

Steve had one large disadvantage when he attacked Natasha, Bruce and Fury. He did not have his shield. It was currently somewhere in his bedroom on the other side of Stark Tower and he hadn't had the time yet to retrieve it. Either way, he was still confident he could take on three assailants. He only had to make sure Banner did not turn into the Hulk. He quickly set his priorities straight: eliminating Banner came first, then he would get rid of Fury and Natasha would be his final victim. There was a small voice in the back of his head that was wondering what exactly he was doing, but he easily discarded it. He was here with a mission, one given to him by his new master Loki. He would not – and _could_ not – disobey him.

He made sure he always had a clear line of sight of the two Avengers and Fury, but he also needed a good place to cover, since he was currently showered with bullets. He rushed towards the minibar Tony had. It was located near the right of him and he dived behind it. Perhaps it was a cowardly move, but he knew he could not afford getting shot. Yet, something felt wrong. Natasha was a master assassin and she had missed her shot? Clearly she was hesitant about hurting him and Steve smiled. He could certainly use that to his advantage.

Jumping up, he fired three bullets at his enemies. Natasha dived aside, Fury dropped to the ground in order to avoid getting shot and Bruce cowered behind a couch.

"Is that the best you've got?" Natasha taunted him.

Steve grew angry, something which normally didn't happen easily. Then again, he had a weakness for bullying and he wasn't exactly himself at the moment. He was completely aware of that, but he simply didn't think any further about it. He had one goal: killing these three people. It should be easy enough. Steve had lived through a war; he had killed enough men during his years of service and afterwards.

Natasha rolled aside and aimed her gun at Steve's head, but she didn't take the shot.

"What are you waiting for?" Steve asked. He didn't just stand there, however. He was not planning on being defeated. He ran aside and found that he suddenly had clear view of Bruce. They were only separated by a few meters and Steve realized that this was his best chance. He raised his gun and fired at his old comrade.

Bruce's eyes widened with shock. His skin paled and his hands began to tremble just before it all changed. He grew bigger and bigger and the paleness of his skin turned green. Steve stumbled back, aware of what he had just done. He had _not_ killed Bruce Banner, but he had unleashed the Hulk. It had been stupid of him to think he could kill Banner. Of course the Hulk would come out to protect him! Steve almost wanted to slap himself across the face for his stupidity.

"Oh God," Natasha whispered somewhere to his left.

Steve knew he had to keep moving. If he stayed on one spot for too long, Natasha or Fury would surely take him down. Hell, he needed to move to avoid getting hit by the Hulk! The giant beast charged forward, roaring and looking absolutely frantic. He knew Bruce could sometimes control his counterpart, but this was not one of those occasions. The transformation had been triggered by fear and the Hulk was now completely deranged and out of control.

"Get out of the way!" Fury shouted suddenly.

Steve spun around, unaware of why the Director of SHIELD would call something like that to him, but he quickly understood. The Hulk was charging towards him now and Steve had no choice but to get out of the way. However, his jump was a split second too late and he felt the Hulk smash him into the ground. His back hit the tiles hard and he felt all the air being knocked from his lunges. There was a sharp ringing in his ears, but he could still distinguish the breaking of glass.

Before he had the chance to get up again, he felt a foot kick away his weapon. Natasha leaned over him, a deep cut on her right cheek. Steve had no idea where she got it from, but he had no time to ponder about it. Natasha grabbed the collar of his shirt to have a firm grip on him and punched him directly in the face. Pain erupted everywhere and Steve feebly attempted to take his gun again. Another feminine fist hit him, harder and better aimed this time, and Steve was knocked out.

~ o ~

Loki enjoyed seeing the tears stream down Jane's face. He could see shock and terror in Eric's eyes and he wondered whether all humans were so easily torn apart. Black Widow had fought until the very end with Clint and even she had started to cry when she'd lost her partner. Truly, Loki was starting to find mortals more and more pathetic. He certainly didn't understand why Thor was so fond of them.

Motioning to the doombot holding Jane, Loki took hold of a dagger. It was a beautiful weapon. The blade shone brilliantly and the hilt was laced with small, emerald stones. Loki had always enjoyed the use of daggers. He usually threw them to avoid getting his hands dirty, but he was willing to make an exception for Thor's beloved Jane. He already felt excited by the mere prospect of having her blood on his hands. It would destroy Thor.

The doombot holding Jane pushed her forward. Jane shrieked due to the sudden movement and began to struggle. It was pointless. There was not a chance she could escape the robot's firm grip.

"Let her go," Eric begged, though he still held a strong voice, "let Jane go and you can do whatever you want with me."

Loki arched an eyebrow and said, "And why would I accept that offer? I already have both of you under my control."

"Just…" Eric inhaled deeply. His gaze landed on the lifeless form of Darcy and more tears come down his cheeks. "Please just let Jane go."

"I don't think so," Loki answered plainly, "you should have known better than to get involved with Thor. He brings nothing but trouble, doesn't he?"

"_You_ bring nothing but trouble," Jane spat when she stood almost directly before Loki, "you are an evil, despicable, vile and sickening creature."

Loki only smiled. He brought the edge of his blade to just underneath her eye, letting it hoover just a few millimeters before her skin. If she made one wrong movement, she would lose her eyes and she was aware of this. Her outrage, shock and aversion instantly transformed into terror. She should praise herself lucky that Loki had such a steady hand.

"Do you love my brother?" He asked.

Jane swallowed heavily, but didn't answer immediately.

Loki pressed the cool blade against her skin, drawing just one, small drop of blood. He watched Jane wince. She clearly tried to recoil, but the doombot kept her firmly in place.

"Answer me."

"Yes," Jane replied with a trembling voice, "yes, I love Thor."

"And do you hate me?"

Again, Jane didn't instantly answer. Loki felt he was losing precious time. He knew Thor was heading his way, he just didn't know _when_ exactly he would be arriving. He would like to have finished the job of breaking Jane before that happened. So he pressed the blade closer to her eye and actually managed to make her scream a bit.

"Jane!" Eric yelled.

Loki paid the scientist no attention and kept his gaze firmly on Thor's woman.

"Yes," Jane said, out of breath, "I do hate you. With all my heart and mind! You're everything that's wrong with the world and the universe."

Loki had expected such an answer.

"Thank you for your honesty," he said with a smooth, almost kind voice, "now I don't have to feel as guilty as when I killed your friend."

Jane tensed and blinked. A small stream of blood now covered her right cheek and Loki ran his thumb over it. The blood stuck to his skin and he examined it for a second. It was already cold and it was beginning to dry.

"It seems I'll have quite some blood on my hands," he commented, cleaning his thumb by rubbing it on Jane's shoulder. Now her white shirt was stained. "But please don't think I am crazy. I know perfectly well what I am doing. Otherwise, I would not have been able to make such a mess out of everyone's lives."

Jane was still breathing hard. Eric – standing a few feet behind her – looked deathly pale.

"I don't think the Avengers have ever been so shocked to the core before," Loki continued, feeling particularly proud of that fact, "but I kept Thor for last. Always keep the best for last."

With one slick movement, he made another cut under Jane's eye. She screamed again as more blood streamed down. It was a deep cut this time and it would definitely leave a scar. That is if she survived today. Loki wasn't sure yet whether he wanted to kill her or not. He should really make up his mind now.

Loki was still deciding over Jane's fate, but he had no such trouble with Eric's fate. He had known since he'd arrived he wanted the man dead. After all, was it not his fault he had failed to conquer the earth? That damned mortal had installed a safety to cut into the power source of the Tesseract. That is what caused the portal to close and that is what killed his army of Chitauri. Yes, Loki _definitely_ wanted Eric Selvigg dead.

He turned to the doombot holding Eric while making sure Jane would see it happen. Honestly, the woman would never be able to recover from this. In the end, she might even begin to blame Thor for the death of her two closest friends. That wasn't what mattered to Loki. He just wanted to toy with the woman until she was nothing more than a sobbing, trembling mess. He was getting close to that result.

"You watched that unimportant girl die," he whispered harshly into Jane's ear, "are you ready to watch that man die, too?"

Jane shook her head, tears splashing onto her shirt. "No, please don't."

Loki nodded once and watched as the doombot grabbed Eric's head. One quick snap and the man would be dead! However, just before the robot managed to make the final movement, he was hit by one very large hammer, knocking him aside and releasing Eric from his steel grip.

"Oh for heaven's sake," Loki grumbled and rolling his eyes as well.

When he turned, he saw Thor standing in the doorway, looking absolutely rigid.


	16. Chapter 16

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Marvel-characters!**

**AN: I'm sorry for the delay. I wrote this chapter a few days ago, but I wasn't happy with it. I changed and added a lot, but I'm still not happy with the way it turned out. I can't keep delaying the update, however, so I am posting it. I really hope you guys will enjoy it. I also really hope this isn't too confusing. Let me know if that's the case!**

**~ The Opposites ~**

**Chapter 16**

Natasha kept her distance. She sat near the far left wall while her gaze remained fixed on the still form of Steve Rogers. The Captain lay asleep in a small, iron bed. His face looked pale with his right black eye looking particularly bright. Natasha had hit him twice in the face, once on the eye and once on the nose. It was a miracle his nose wasn't broken. Then again, Natasha always had a good aim.

She didn't know how much time passed, but eventually Steve stirred.

His hands were cuffed to the edges of the bed and even his feet had been bound. It felt a déjà vu to Natasha, only this time it wasn't Clint that lay before her. She wished it was him, but weren't wishes for children? She would give anything and everything to get him back, but what's dead stayed dead. She didn't believe in fairytales, not even when there were Gods and monsters walking amongst them. She simply knew there was one monster she wanted to kill.

"Natasha?"

Carefully Natasha stood from her seat and approached the waking Captain. His eyes were their normal blue color again, but she remained very cautionate. There was never any telling what Loki's magic could have done to him. Still, she already felt partially relieved.

"How are you feeling?"

Steve wanted to reach for his head only to find he couldn't move his arms. He looked confused for a few moments before his eyes widened with realization. He whipped his head around and stared directly at her. She could see many thoughts whirl through his head and she knew she had to comfort him. Guilt was probably consuming him at this point.

"It's fine," she said, daring to sit on the edge of Steve's bed, "you didn't hurt anyone." Then she remembered the many beaten up security guards. She quickly added, "much."

Steve let his head fall back and exhaled slowly. "I never quite understood what Clint was talking about," he said, "but now I do. The entire time I knew perfectly well what I was doing, but I just couldn't…I couldn't stop myself."

"I know," Natasha said empathically, "but you're fixed now."

"Thanks for that."

Steve opened his eyes and tugged at the cuffs. He looked slightly pained.

Natasha, knowing for certain that Steve was himself again, released him.

"How is Bruce?" He asked quietly. "I remember I unleashed the Hulk and then you…" For the first time, his gaze _truly_ focused on Natasha. His hand instantly found its way towards her injured cheek. A long, but thin gash ran all the way from her eye to her lip. "What happened?"

Natasha shrugged. That wound was the least of her concerns at the moment.

"The Hulk ran through the window after it tried to attack you and he fall all the way down," she explained, "Bruce is fine, by the way. He wanted to be here when you woke, but Fury insisted SHIELD ran some medical tests before he returned to duty. When the glass shattered, however, a piece hit my face. It's nothing really, it will heal."

Steve looked shocked and uttered, "I am so sorry."

Natasha smiled kindly. She would never be able to exonerate all of Steve's guilt. After all he did hurt many agents and he did provoke the Hulk. She would never tell him this though. She reached for his hand in a comforting way.

"What about the others?" Steve asked. "You spoke of Bruce, but where are Thor and Tony? What happened after Loki turned me?"

Only then did Natasha remember that there was no way Steve knew what was happening. She realized she barely understood herself. Thor and Tony had left not so long ago and they hadn't heard from them since. She wanted to help them, fight at their side and kill a certain son of a bitch, but Fury had refused to let her go. After all, at that time of her request she had still been bleeding quite severely.

"Loki showed up at Jane Foster's safe house," she sighed, dreading to think what was happening or what had happened over there, "Thor and Stark are there right now, fighting the devil. I kinda hope he dies, but Thor won't allow that to happen I suppose."

Steve nodded understandingly.

"How are you feeling, Natasha?" Steve sounded ever so calm and friendly. He even smiled amiable.

Natasha wasn't in the mood to talk about her emotions. Clint was gone and she had to deal with it. Talking wasn't going to make it better and it wasn't going to bring him back. She decided to redirect their conversation.

"We could head over there," she said, "help them."

"I'm afraid not," a new voice said.

Natasha looked behind her to see Bruce standing in the doorway. He looked like his normal self again. It was a relief to see he was all right, but what he had said didn't sit well with her. She ached for action. She needed to keep herself busy.

"Fury won't let us go," Bruce explained as he entered the room, "he'll have Steve submit to the same tests I had to undergo. The Director hasn't really faced a situation like this. Sure we've been to war and back again, but this time it's different. This time it's very personal. He already lost an agent; he doesn't want to lose any more of us."

Steve clearly wished the situation was different and Natasha couldn't blame him. She hated sitting around and doing nothing. Then again she had to admit that her cheek was hurting like hell, but that didn't mean she couldn't fight. She has had much worse.

"But this wouldn't be the first time we defied Fury, would it?" Natasha asked while she raised one eyebrow.

Steve's gaze lifted to meet hers again.

"Get ready," she said, "we're leaving in five minutes."

~ o ~

Mjolnir flew back into Thor's hand. His blue eyes stood wide with nothing but fury, hostility and resentment. Never before had Loki seen his brother like this. There have been times where he was angry and disappointed, but this was something else entirely. Loki swallowed heavily and finally dared to lay eyes on his counterpart.

Dark Loki was smiling. Actually it was more of a dirty, challenging grin as if he had achieved everything he'd wanted to achieve. He looked confident, smug and powerful. He looked…absolutely crazy. Loki didn't think there was even the faintest trace of sanity left in his counterpart's mind. That thought scared him and Loki dreaded to prospect of being unified with him. He didn't want to feel and experience everything that madman standing before them was feeling and experiencing.

"Finally he arrives," dark Loki said ever so sweetly, "to rescue his sweet, lovely Jane. Is she that important to you?"

Jane was still trapped in the grasp of a doombot, as was Eric. They both tried to escape desperately, but it was all to no avail. Loki wished he could help them, but at the moment, he was too afraid. He knew how weak he was compared to his counterpart. Other Loki had no restrictions; he felt no fear or vulnerability and he had powerful magic. He on the other hand had none of that.

"You let her go," Thor hissed. His fingers were clenched around Mjolnir tightly. It almost looked like he might break the hammer if he put any more strength on the handle. "You let both of them go."

"And why would I do that?" Dark Loki laughed. Suddenly he turned very menacing. "I have everything I want. I killed the pathetic girl, I have you here, looking like you might actually throw up. I'll kill the rest as well, just to see your heart break for them."

Thor raised Mjolnir, but did not attack just yet. He knew well enough that Jane and Eric would be in the line of fire if he ever decided to fight Loki. The battle would be dangerous and at this point even deadly. Thor's eyes spoke of murder. He was clearly shocked by that girl's death, but he seemed to hold himself together.

Loki didn't know what would happen if his counterpart died by Thor's hand. Would he die with him? He didn't want to think too much about it. Thor didn't want to kill Loki, right, not even this wretched version of him? Frankly, Loki wasn't too sure. When he gazed at his dark other, _he_ wanted to kill him. It felt like something as foul and evil as that Loki shouldn't be allowed to exist.

"You will not touch them," Thor spat, "you… You will release these robots and come to Asgard with me."

Loki let his gaze switch between Thor and his dark counterpart. At the moment, he preferred to stay in the background. There was rustling behind him and only then did he remember Stark was with them as well. When he looked at the billionaire's face, he could see the horror and shock in the mortal's eyes. Tony's eyes were fixed on the still form of the dead girl. Loki hadn't dared to look into her empty eyes for too long and he knew Thor didn't even dare to look at her. It probably hurt too much.

Better to focus on the living.

Loki was draw away from his thoughts by other Loki's howling laughter.

"I will come back with you to Asgard?" More laughter. "And why would I? I love it here, there are so many toys, so many lives to destroy and play with. So you ask me to return to a hellhole where I'll be forced to spend the rest of eternity with _him_."

It took Loki a few seconds before he realized his counterpart was looking at him. He suddenly wanted to become very small and invisible. Mostly invisible! He didn't know why he ever thought it might be a good idea to come along.

"You leave me no choice then," Thor growled. He threw Mjolnir at his despicable brother and started the fight that had been inevitable.

The doombots jumped into action as well and Loki barely managed to duck aside as one of them lashed out to him. He suddenly found himself standing fairly close to Jane. Without thinking, he grabbed a nearby standing vase and smashed it onto the doombot's head. It was forced to release its grip on Jane and Loki didn't hesitate. He grabbed her hand and pulled her out from the room, ignoring her panicked shouts and protests.

"I can't leave Eric," she screamed when they stood just outside of the little house.

A doombot crashed through the window, followed by a fully suited Iron Man who was punching his face in. When the doombot seized to move, Iron Man straightened his back, gazed at Jane and Loki for a second and then headed back inside the house through the same broken window.

Jane suddenly realized she was literally holding onto Loki. Her fingers dug deep into his arms, but he didn't mind. He could see how distressed and petrified the mortal woman was. He would make her feel better – or at least try – but he knew it was pointless. She had just lost one of her best friends. She wouldn't want to hear everything would be fine in the end.

"Eric is still in there," Jane whimpered softly. She only had eyes for the house. "And Darcy… Poor, poor Darcy."

Tears rolled down her cheeks.

"I'm really sorry," Loki heard himself say. He didn't even know why he was apologizing. _He_ hadn't killed her, his counterpart had and they were most definitely not one and the same person. "I'll get Eric out of there."

Not waiting for Jane's response, Loki headed back inside to find Thor and his counterpart enthused in battle. Thor beat his hammer against dark Loki's back which made him stumble forward, but he quickly regained his balance. Dark Loki spun around and somehow managed to breathe fire into Thor's face. The God of Thunder looked absolutely enraged and swung his hammer at his evil brother's head.

Loki would have stayed to see what happened next, but he suddenly found Eric trying to escape a doombot's grasp. Iron Man blasted a bolt of energy at the robot's head and it fell back, pulling Eric down with him. Loki rushed to his aid and pried away the robot's fingers from Eric's arms. He grabbed him by the shoulder and helped him get outside to Jane. The elder scientist looked stunned and didn't even seem able to utter anything.

Jane threw her arms around her friend's body.

"Are you okay?" she asked in a high, uneven voice. "Eric? Are you okay?"

Eric slowly nodded.

Behind them, loud noises sounded and Loki spun around to find Iron Man fighting off half a dozen doombots. They all looked agitated by the genius billionaire, but they didn't seem to get the upper hand. It was almost impressive to see Iron Man hold his ground against the many robots. Loki contemplated on joining the battle, but he doubted he could actually proof useful and he wasn't planning on dying today. Sure he was handy with knives and daggers, but he had none of those weapons at this moment.

If only he had his magic. He was slowly growing jealous of his counterpart.

A loud crash sounded to their left, but Loki could only hear Jane shriek. She tried to rush towards the fallen Thor, but Eric held her back. Loki was confused about what had happened, but then he noticed the many burn marks on Thor's chest. His brother shook away his disorientation and discomfort and quickly got on his feet again. However, Loki's magic hit him once more and this time it managed to knock him against a tree.

"Do something," Jane pleaded as she looked into Loki's eyes, "help him!"

Loki truly wished he could, but what was he supposed to do against a powerful sorcerer? It didn't even matter he was his evil twin. When magic was involved, you usually avoided the battle. Loki gazed at Thor and willed him to stand up. Eventually Thor did, but he didn't look so well. His skin looked black and blue and he'd lost some length of his hair.

"Please," Jane begged again.

Then something came to Loki. A plan. _A scheme_. He wasn't sure if it would work and he knew that if it didn't, he would end up really hurt or even dead, but he had to try. He had to help Thor, he had to prove that he still had good in him! He wanted to show Thor he was prepared to make the sacrifice.

Did that make him a good person? Loki would never know.

He stepped forward. His counterpart had no attention for him. He was entirely focused on Thor. Only when Loki stood almost directly next to him did dark Loki offer him a quick glance. He had annoyance written in his eyes.

"And what do you want?" He sneered. "Are you going to cry? Beg me to stop hurting your brother like dear, sad Jane over there? Are you a good little dog now?"

"You're pathetic," Loki heard himself say. He wasn't even sure why he said it. He knew he had to get his counterpart angry, but perhaps now he was just provoking him. Then again, this was the truth and the truth always hurt. "You really are sad and pathetic."

"Loki," Thor rasped, "_no_."

"What did you say?" Dark Loki asked. His annoyance had vanished. His eyes had darkened and narrowed. He looked like a predator ready to strike his pray.

"I said you are sad and pathetic," Loki repeated, "and you're _weak_."

Dark Loki began to grin. "Not weaker than you. I can crush you. In fact, I _will_ crush you. I have no need of you. You despise me, but let me tell you a little secret; I despise you just as much."

Dark Loki raised his hand to fire a spell at him which was when Loki moved in. He grabbed his counterpart's wrist and focused. It all came down to _focus_. The stronger the emotion, the easier it all was and he had definitely angered his counterpart beyond anyone's imagination. The familiar pull appeared and Loki allowed himself to be dragged along with it.

Suddenly, he was no longer himself. He had disappeared into dark Loki's mind, but this time it was different. This time, the emotions were heightened and the situation was unique. Loki wasn't just a passenger in his counterpart's mind, he wasn't just going along for the ride. No, this was something much more dangerous.

Loki found himself standing in a dark place with his counterpart standing before him.

They were all alone and their surroundings had vanished.

"What's this madness?" Dark Loki demanded to know. For the first time, he looked uneasy. Perhaps even a bit scared. "Where are we?"

"I think," Loki breathed, "I think we're inside your head."


	17. Chapter 17

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Marvel-characters!**

**AN: I am so glad you all liked the previous chapter! It's such a relief. I happily began to write this chapter, though it wasn't easy to make the clear distinction between Loki and Dark Loki. Also, it gets rather complicated so I hope it's all clear. Please enjoy and please let me know whether you liked it or not!**

**~ The Opposites ~**

**Chapter 17**

"I think," Loki breathed, "I think we're inside your head."

Dark Loki narrowed his eyes. His previous fear had already vanished and had been replaced by skepticism and a great deal of hatred. For a moment, Loki thought he would die right then and there simply by getting glared at. Then he reminded himself to stay strong. He had a plan after all and if it worked, he might just do something good.

"My head?"

"Yes," Loki answered, glancing around. He wasn't sure what he had expected. Memories flashing by? Bright colors that nearly blinded him? Instead he stood in such a dark, ominous place that had no ending. They were surrounded by shadows and whispers. It was very eerie and Loki wished he could leave. It sent shivers down his spine. "Your head," he repeated, "because that would certainly explain why it is so damned dark in here."

"On the contrary to what? Your head?" Dark Loki asked, eyebrows shooting upwards. "I'm sure your mind is just a trip through the park. Are there butterflies? Eternal sunshine? My goodness, you are like a woman! Even more pathetic than that weeping redhead. Or Thor's girlfriend. They all cry so easily."

Loki was growing to dislike his counterpart more and more. But what could he do about it? Smack him in the face? He would get his ass kicked by Dark Loki which was something he'd rather avoid. He had to focus on his plan. If emotions somehow diminished, he would lose his hold on Dark Loki's mind. He would be right back where he started and he would not have helped Thor.

"You truly have no idea, do you?" Loki cocked his head a little to the side. It was childish gesture, something he did when he'd been younger and called his brother an idiotic ape. That felt like ages ago and Loki suddenly longed to be a child again. He'd been carefree and innocent. Now it had all changed. "You truly do not know how much truth there lies in my words."

Dark Loki grew agitated. Perhaps he didn't enjoy Loki speaking in riddles or maybe he really disliked the memory of being called weak, pathetic and sad.

"Then enlighten me."

"You should be able to figure it out by yourself since you think you are so smart."

A scowl escaped his counterpart's lips.

"Tell me!"

"Everything you've done over the last couple of days has only strengthened me," Loki explained. There was a part of him that was praying he was speaking the truth. What if it was all a lie? What if he had just been a fool himself? Was it better to lie to others than to yourself? Loki no longer knew.

"Oh really?" A loud, amused laughed came from Dark Loki. Yet his eyes grew darker when he noticed Loki remained absolutely collected and in control of himself. "I do not believe you, you pathetic worm, all you have done is shield yourself away behind Thor's cape. You even sought protection with your mortal enemies. The Avengers do not want you, they'll never want you. Did you think when all is over and done with that you could join them?"

"Of course not," Loki replied instantly. The mere idea was ridiculous. "But I have helped them in any way I could. It is how I gained something from them."

Dark Loki turned suspicious.

"And what have you gained then? Their trust?" Dark Loki took a step forward, his eyes wide with anticipation and curiosity. "If that is what you think, then you are more naïve than I gave you credit for."

"I will never gain their trust," Loki stated matter-of-factly, "I am still Loki, God of Mischief, and I tried to subjugate their world. No, they will not trust me in a million years and I do not want them to. What I have gained, is their faith."

Dark Loki said nothing for a long moment. Eventually he licked his lips and sighed.

"And what is that supposed to mean?"

"This is my entire point," Loki explained almost cheerfully, "I have gained so much and you have gained _nothing_. The Avengers used to think that I was a lost case, that I was nothing more than an attention-seeking, arrogant and evil bastard. But I showed them that there is so much more to me. They used to think all there was, was you. After all, you are an attention-seeking, arrogant and evil bastard. But now they have a bit of faith. When we are joined again, they'll know I am inside of you somewhere and they'll know I have some control. Finally, they'll know that there will always be a part of the real Loki that does not want them dead. "

"There is only one real Loki and that is _me_! And I am done with you, there will only _ever_ be me!"

"No," Loki countered stubbornly, "you cannot defeat me."

"Right," Dark Loki grinned, "because you think I am weak."

"Perhaps not truly weak," he replied calmly, "but I can say that I am at least as powerful as you."

Dark Loki growled.

"There is something else I have gained."

He had always had a brilliant mind, but he could just about say the same thing about his memory. He could remember conversations he'd had years ago. As a result, remembering what Thor told him over the past few days wasn't that difficult.

'_You are worthy, Loki,'_ Thor had said at one point, 'e_ver since you sent the Destroyer after me in Puente Antiguo, I thought our brotherhood would forever be broken, but it's still as strong as ever. At least it is on my part. And you might not know the answer to why, but I do. It is because after __everything__, we're still family, we're brothers.'_

'_Maybe you are not the real Loki, but you are a part of him. You are everything that is still good about him. The other one, he is __not__ the strongest one. You are stronger than him, Loki, I know you are and you can take control when you're put back together.'_

'_You are a good brother,' _Thor had assured him_, 'together we can be great. When the Allfather puts you back with your counterpart, you must stay strong. You __must__ get the upper hand. Know that I am rooting for you. You are the brother I love and care for. You are the son our parents love and care for.'_

"I have gained Thor's love," he said after a short silence, instantly noticing the disgusted look on his counterpart's face, "it's not something you pursue, but I do. Thor is my brother and knowing he still cares for me gives me strength. I fight for him and I fight for our parents. You know what that gives me? A _purpose_ and that is something you do not have. You wreak havoc and you cause destruction for the fun of it. Your carelessness and your aimlessness does not make you strong. You are fighting, yes, but that is all. I am… I am fighting _for_ something."

"You think it matters?" Dark Loki sneered. His agitation and initial caution had vanished. Now he looked like nothing more than a spoiled brat who had not gotten what he wanted. "You think all of that matters? Let me shatter your frail fantasy. _Power_ matters and I have just that. I have magic and what do you have? Faith and love cannot defeat me. We don't live in a fairytale."

"That's true," Loki admitted as he nodded, "I am definitely aware of that. However, I believe there is a loophole. It's really an ancient philosophical issue. Does mind triumph over body or is other way around?"

Dark Loki looked at him as if he had lost his mind.

"Again, what does it matter?"

"I don't believe in any of those extremes. I believe mind and body are partners. They work together and one cannot live without the other."

"I really don't-"

"What I am saying," Loki interrupted his counterpart, partially enjoying seeing the confusion, irritation and slight fear in Dark Loki's eyes, "is that magic neither belongs to the body or the mind. It's everywhere. And at this moment, I am inside your mind. Do you understand where I am going with this?"

Dark Loki's eyes widened. He definitely understood now.

"Oh, you do," Loki smiled.

He truly, honestly wished his theory was correct. Before his counterpart had the chance, Loki lifted his hand and fired to first spell that came to him. It turned out to be a spell that collected energy and transformed it into a giant ball of electricity. It shot away from his hand and hit Dark Loki in the chest. A shriek escaped Dark Loki's lips, but good Loki remained focus. He knew one spell wasn't enough to subdue his opponent.

What made the entire situation so difficult was the fact that they were mostly surrounded by darkness. Loki could hear his counterpart move around him and he suddenly felt a heat spreading through his head. Dark Loki had used a spell on him and Loki had no choice but to fall to his knees. The heat withdrew and Loki spun around, his eyes landing on the dim figure of Dark Loki. He shot another bolt of electricity at him and this time hit him in the stomach.

"You are _not_ stronger than me," Dark Loki hissed, "you will never _be_ stronger than me."

Loki realized that he was actually on unknown territory. That was a large disadvantage and he knew he didn't have to be strong to get the upper hand. He just had to be clever.

An idea came to him and he knew he had to be quick. He felt another spell hit him, this time in his side and he cried out in agony. He toppled over, clutching the wound that had formed. At least, he thought there was a wound, but when he looked, he saw nothing. His clothes hadn't even been torn or burned.

He quickly glanced up to find his counterpart standing over him. His dark green eyes appeared like brilliant lights in the blackness surrounding them. It was a frightening image, but Loki swallowed away his fear.

One spell and he could end it.

One simple spell.

He laughed when thinking about how easy it was in the end.

"What are you so happy about?" Dark Loki demanded to know. "Are you relieved you will die here? Remember, the body cannot live without the mind. Those were your words. If I kill you here, I kill your mind. Oh, how excitingly easy isn't this?"

"It _is_ easy," Loki whispered and then he spoke his spell out loud.

It felt like a feast to see the shock dawn in Dark Loki's eyes.

One spell buried dark Loki's magic so deep within him that he could no longer access it. Was that not simple? He told himself that the simplest plans usually were the best one. As Dark Loki's magic vanished – much like Odin had tried to do days ago – Loki felt himself slip away from this wretched, black mind.

In the end, it felt like reaching the surface of an ocean.

He gasped for air and instinctively released his hold on Dark Loki's wrist. He stumbled back and saw that his counterpart did the same.

Thor was instantly at his side, supporting him and making sure he did not fall down. Dark Loki _did_ fall down and Loki was rather pleased about that.

"What did you do to me?" Dark Loki gnarled as he tried to find his balance again.

Suddenly Iron Man appeared beside Dark Loki and held him down by placing his right foot on his chest. There were dozens of bumps and dents in his suit, but other than that he looked fine. A small rocket erupted from the shoulder-piece of his suit and he aimed it at the trickster.

"One wrong movement," Iron Man threatened, "and your face blows up."

Thor carefully placed his arms under Loki's shoulder and hoisted him upwards. He looked worried and relieved at the same time. It was nice to see that he only had eyes for the good version of his brother. It reinforced Loki's believe that Thor did care for him and worried about him.

"Loki?"

"I buried his magic," he explained softly, unable to direct more force towards his voice. He nodded towards his counterpart. "He's harmless."

Suddenly Iron Man kicked Dark Loki hard in the face. There was a filthy crack and blood began to stream down his face. Dark Loki looked shocked, but he did not dare to move. Nor did he make any sound though he was obviously in pain.

"That-" Iron Man growled, "-that was for Pepper."


	18. Chapter 18

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Marvel-characters!**

**AN: I come with a new chapter. I really hope this will be enjoyed! Thank you so much for leaving me kind messages and reviews. I am so glad that many of you are still enjoying this story so much. I never planned on this much chapters, but writing evil Loki is just too much fun. The story is coming to an end soon, however.**

**Let me know what you think of chapter 18!**

**~ The Opposites ~**

**Chapter 18**

Humiliated.

There was no other word that described better how Loki felt at this very moment. There was anger as well of course, and rage. He even felt the smallest amount of jealousy towards his counterpart, but it was important not to forget the utter humiliation. He was _seething_.

He had lost his magic and therefor he'd lost a great amount of his power. He hadn't been able to teleport away nor could he fight Thor in this condition. It was even worse to think that he might not even be able to defeat that terribly arrogant Man of Iron and that was just a pathetic excuse of a mortal. Thinking of him made his nose ache even more. It was definitely broken.

It was with luck that the doombots hadn't turned on him. He wasn't even sure if Thor would have aided him if that had been the case. Losing his magic had broken the connection he had to those machines. Those stupid, useless machines! They had done absolutely nothing to help his cause. Loki wanted to wreck each and every one of them, but it was too late now. The doombots had left – no doubt planning on freeing their true master Doctor Doom – and so Loki had lost his small battalion.

But none of it mattered. What annoyed him the most was the content look his counterpart's face. That ridiculously, sickening, good version of himself appeared so pleased that he actually wanted to throw up. Good Loki would never lower himself to looking smug – that was a trait reserved for him alone – but he certainly shouldn't look this…satisfied.

The same went for Thor. The thunderer looked partially relieved – even though pain radiated clearly from his blue eyes – and Loki didn't know whether it was because he had captured him or because Jane was still alive. Loki cursed under his breath. He should have killed that woman first!

Yet he refused to give up. He also refused to simply accept the situation. That lay not in his nature. Last time he had found himself Thor's prisoner, he had easily gone along to Asgard. He hadn't protested or struggled. He had simply taken the other end of the device holding the Tesseract and returned home with him. That had been more so by the influence of his counterpart. Now Loki swore to himself he would fight until the end. He just had to bide his time and strike at the right moment. Sure his counterpart played it all so very cleverly, but Loki could be evenly cunning.

All that he needed was patience.

A few minutes passed – perhaps half an hour – before Thor approached him. Loki quickly plastered a vicious smirk on his face and noticed Thor already tensed. It was his luck that he didn't have to wear that degrading mouth piece. Only his hands were bound by a short, metal chain, but even that felt rather comfortably. Of course none of this was about his comfort. It simply meant Thor hardly considered him a threat.

Loki would just have to prove Thor wrong.

"We are leaving, Loki," Thor said coldly. He forcefully grabbed his shoulder and pulled him forward. It hurt Loki's skin, but it was nothing compared to the throbbing pain in his nose.

"So soon?" Loki replied jovially. "I was just starting to have some fun."

"_Silence_!" Thor hissed.

In that very moment, Thor reminded Loki of Odin. He truly was the son of his father. He certainly was as arrogant and idiotic. If they all thought he would cooperate, then they would be in for a surprise. Loki's smirk widened. Agitating Thor was almost a much fun as having that girl killed. What was her name again? Darla? Darlene? It mattered not. She was unimportant.

"Aren't we grumpy," Loki retorted with a straight expression on his face, "it must be that time of the month."

This time Thor was clever enough to ignore him. It made no difference.

They came closer to Jane and Eric and seeing their tears – both fresh and old – was entertaining enough. Thor spoke in hushed tones with them, probably words of comfort in these oh-so very difficult times, and then turned to look at him again.

"We're leaving," Thor repeated, "we're going back to Stark's Tower so you should pray the others do not break any more of your body parts before we return to Asgard."

Loki couldn't help but wiggle his nose. It was an unintentional gesture which he quickly ended when he noticed Stark glaring at him. The mortal still wore his suit of iron, but the head-piece had been removed. Loki wished Stark would stop looking at him. It became uncomfortable. It also made Loki wish he didn't have to face the other Avengers first. What would be the point? Loki wasn't afraid of them – why should he be? – but he just wasn't in the mood for any more glares.

"Let's go," Stark said.

~ o ~

Arriving at Stark Tower, Thor almost literally ran into his fellow Avengers. Natasha, Bruce and Steve had been meaning to join them at Jane's safe house. It was quite frightening to see a deep gash just underneath Natasha's eye, but she didn't appear to be in pain. Bruce looked weary and tired, with dark circles under his eyes and his curly hair disheveled and when Steve noticed them, his usually kind eyes turned cautious and angry. No doubt because he saw Dark Loki was with them.

"All is under control, my friends," Thor told them as he tightened his grip on dark Loki's upper arm, "we have caught him."

Dark Loki threw everyone a sly smile.

"What happened?" Bruce asked, noticing the torn expression in Thor's face.

Thor sighed heavily before answering, "I lost a close friend. Her name was Darcy Lewis."

"I'm so sorry," Steve said solemnly.

The doors of the elevator opened and Director Fury exited. He looked dismayed – when didn't he? – and he crossed his arms before his chest when he found the entire team of Avengers standing before him. Of course his gaze landed on both versions of Loki as well, but apparently he chose to ignore them.

"I do hope the three of you-" Fury pointed at Natasha, Bruce and Steve, "-weren't planning on leaving this building."

No one replied.

"That's what I thought," Fury grumbled, "I see Loki has been captured. That's one good thing I suppose. Don't mind me saying this, Thor, but your brother is a pain in my ass."

Thor inclined his head.

"I understand."

"And don't mind me saying _this_," Fury added, "but I rather see you leave than arrive. It seems that whenever you show up, _he_ either tries to wreck my city or goes on a killing spree."

Dark Loki snorted under his breath and lowered his gaze. He couldn't help but smile at seeing Thor's mortal friends. They all looked exhausted and broken. This is exactly what he had been after, but he wasn't done yet. He would never be done with toying with the Avengers. It was either too easy or too much fun. Besides, Dark Loki had sworn he would not go to Asgard without a fight at least.

"What are you smiling about?" Fury barked.

Dark Loki lifted his gaze again. He wasn't afraid of the one eyed man. He simply wished he had gone after him as well. Surely the Director had weaknesses as well. A woman somewhere or perhaps even a child? Dark Loki told himself he would be back for that man.

"You are about to return to Asgard," Fury said with a calculated, strain voice, "to face your father. I don't see how you can be so amused right now."

"Oh, facing the Allfather is _nothing_ compared to this," Dark Loki said, his voice dripping with satisfaction. The mortals just made it all too easy. It was as if they were made to be manipulated. "If glares could kill," he continued, "then I would be dead six times already."

"Silence your tongue," Thor snapped. He let go of Loki with a frustrated, violent movement. "Or I will silence it for you."

"What do you want of me, Thor?" Dark Loki asked. He was both annoyed and angry at the same time, yet he wasn't one to let emotions take hold of him. He knew perfectly well what he was doing. He just needed to be patient and wait for the right moment to strike. "Do you want me to apologize? Do you want me to tell everyone how sorry I am?"

Dark Loki spun around, his eyes already having scanned the room. He'd assessed Black Widow was the easiest to manipulate. She also carried the most visible weapons. A gun was strapped to her thigh and a knife was tucked away in her belt. But Dark Loki didn't focus on her first. He looked at Captain America.

"I'm sorry for stealing your mind and using you as a doll," he said with sharpness to his voice, "I shouldn't have sent you to kill your friends. That was mean." He turned to Bruce Banner next. "I'm also sorry for unleashing the Hulk in the park. Murdering 21 people couldn't have been easy." And finally, Loki turned to his main target. "And you," he said, gazing directly into Natasha's ice cold eyes, "I am sorry I killed the love of your life. I am also very sorry that you cannot even fulfill your last promise to him."

It happened so quickly. Natasha reached for her knife and pressed the sharp blade against his throat. Dark Loki didn't move nor did he stumble back. He still wasn't afraid of her because he knew she would never have the courage to actually slit his throat. Besides, he was fairly certain Thor wouldn't allow it to happen either.

"Agent Romanoff!" Fury shouted, clearly shocked by the actions of his usually collected agent.

Thor was almost directly at Dark Loki's side in a heartbeat. His blue eyes had widened and he raised his hands as if to show Natasha that he meant her no harm, yet he held onto his hammer almost desperately. "Please don't, Natasha," Thor said in a soft, soothing voice, "do not kill him."

"And why not?" Natasha asked, her voice trembling. Tears came to her eyes though they did not diminish her anger. They simply showed her heartbreak. "If I kill this son of a bitch here and now, then all of our troubles are gone."

"We have no idea of knowing what would happen," Thor argued, taking a step away from the evil version of his brother and stepping closer towards Natasha. He stood almost directly besides her now, yet he did not touch her or force her to lower her arm in any way. "If you kill this Loki," he said, "then maybe the other one-" he quickly glimpsed at the good version of his brother, "-might die with him. We do not know. Please, Natasha, I cannot take the risk."

"I promised Clint," she whispered, her eyes trained on Dark Loki, "I swore to him I would kill this one."

"Agent Romanoff," Fury said with only authority in his voice, "lower your weapon. That is an order."

Natasha blinked, one tear rolling down her cheek. "I hope you burn in hell for what you did," she said through gritted teeth while she glared at Dark Loki, "I hope you wish you were never born when all is said and done."

Dark Loki didn't reply.

Natasha lowered her arm and let out a heavy sigh. Tension slipped away from her body.

"Thor doesn't dare to take the risk," Dark Loki told her, "but I do."

Natasha frowned, though she would never be fast enough to stop the coming attack.

Dark Loki quickly knocked his bound hands against Natasha's arm. It threw her off balance and made her loosen her grip on the knife. He easily snatched it from her grasp and spun around. Just before Thor knocked him down, Dark Loki managed to throw the weapon. He had always been very skilled in dagger-throwing and he knew – without having to see it – that he'd hit his target.

Thor growled as he looked down on the fallen Dark Loki. He held Mjolnir tightly in his hand, holding it as if he was about to strike him. He bared his teeth and made an almost animalistic sound. He looked like a tiny lion.

Dark Loki was not intimidated. He laughed maniacally, the sound coming from deep within his throat.

"Now I have finally gotten to you. I destroyed everything your friends hold dear, but _you_ never lost anything. Not really," he said in between his fits of laughter. Then he suddenly turned deadly serious. When he spoke the next few words, he appeared mad with fury and hatred. "I couldn't kill your precious Jane, but at least I got to your precious _brother_!"

Without hesitating, Thor snapped his head aside. His eyes landed on the thin figure of the brother he held dear. Good Loki's face looked awfully pale. His lips were slightly parted as if he wanted to say something, but the sound appeared trapped within his chest. His large green eyes stood wide and incomprehensive as they gazed at Thor.

And then finally, _finally_ Thor dared to lower his gaze.

Natasha's knife stuck deep in Loki's chest and blood already dripped on the floor.

"Brother!" Thor yelled.

He was just in time to catch the falling figure of his brother.

**AN: I love writing cliffhangers. It makes me evil, I know, but I just cannot change my ways. XD**


	19. Chapter 19

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Marvel-characters!**

**AN: *anxiously peeks from underneath her bed* You guys still there? Am I still welcome? I bring a gift to beg your forgiveness! An extra-long chapter to make up for all the time without an update. I also want to thank all of you that left me an awesome review for chapter 18. A lot of you were shocked and afraid of what would happen now. No worries, your questions will be answered here.**

**Thanks for sticking with this story! Enjoy chapter 19.**

**~ The Opposites ~**

**Chapter 19**

The world vanished around Thor. It blurred into one, unimportant image. In the distance he could hear his friends shout and in the corner of his eyes, he could see Natasha and Tony keep his wretched brother down. He didn't know what they were doing. Had they put a gun to his head? Had they knocked in the face a few times? Thor couldn't bring himself to care, nor did he want to see the look in his evil brother's eyes.

Thor simply could not bring himself to shift away his gaze from his good brother. He had his arms wrapped around Loki's shoulders as they sat on the floor. His bended knee kept Loki sitting up, but Loki barely seemed aware of his surroundings.

His face had always had a pale complexion, but now his skin had a deathly white color and his lips were dry. Short, erratic breaths escaped his lungs and Thor could tell that the mere act of breathing hurt him. Loki's eyes stood wide with shock and disbelieve. They were trained on Thor and his lips moved. He was trying to say something, but Thor quickly shushed him.

"Save your strength, brother," Thor told him, making sure he kept his own voice particularly strong. For some reason, he wanted to show Loki that he wasn't scared or concerned. He wanted to show him that everything was under control. "You will be fine, Loki, do you hear me? Everything will be fine."

"He is dying!" Dark Loki shouted. Again, Thor could see the evil figure struggle to break free. "There is nothing you can do, Thor, you have failed!"

"Someone shut him the hell up!" Fury barked.

Everything was chaos, just like evil Loki liked. Thor told himself to stay quiet. Reacting was the one thing that monster wanted of him. No, Thor told himself, he had to keep his head cool.

The Director kneeled before Thor, but he only had attention for the weakening figure of Loki. Carefully, Fury examined the deep wound, the fingers of his right hand twirling around the dagger. He seemed to contemplate on removing the weapon, but if there was internal bleeding – which was likely – pulling out the blade could worsen Loki's condition.

"_Thor_?" Loki asked weakly. His hazy, green eyes were barely able to stay open. "Thor, he won."

"Never," Thor replied angrily. He knew now wasn't the time to argue with his brother, but he simply could not stand Loki's words. Besides, he wanted everyone – including Dark Loki – to hear him. "That vile monster will never win, do you hear me? You are stronger than him, Loki, that much you already proved."

Loki remained silent. He licked his lips just before his eyes fluttered shut. Thor tightened his grip on his brother's frail body, but it was useless. He could feel him slipping away. It was the most horrifying and frightening experience. Suddenly he felt so small and so young. A part of him longed for his home, for the comfort of his mother. Thor sighed when he thought of Frigga. Seeing her son hurt like this would devastate her.

He swallowed heavily, not knowing what he could do to save his brother. Slowly, he turned to look at Fury.

"Is there anything you can-"

Before he managed to finish his sentence, a bright blue light appeared. Thor and his friends needed to shield away their eyes since it hurt. A deafening noise followed and a tremble filled the air. Thor knew what it meant, as did the others. Hope filled his chest, flooding him with warmth. With large, expecting eyes, he turned to look at the newly arrived figure.

Odin looked absolutely seething. His lips were nothing more than two thin lines. Thor had never before seen his father like that, not even when he had defied him by going to Jotunheim. With purposeful strides, the Allfather walked towards his eldest son and the dying figure of his youngest one. No one dared to say anything. They only watched as Odin placed a hand on Loki's raven hair. For a moment Thor thought it was such a loving gesture, but then he remembered all that had happened between father and son.

Thor looked into his father's eyes, not knowing what he expected to see in them, but then he finally understood. _Finally_. Odin had never stopped loving Loki and seeing him like this hurt him as much as it hurt Thor.

Odin retracted his hand and spun around.

"Get him up," he ordered Natasha and Tony.

The two Avengers did as they were told. With much force and unnecessary violence, they hoisted Dark Loki up. They each grabbed one of his arms and pushed him towards the Allfather. For the first time Dark Loki looked scared. He also appeared a bit annoyed, but clearly he wasn't planning on trying anything. There was nothing left he could do in the end. He had no magic and no weapons. He could only accept his fate.

Odin narrowed his eyes as he looked at Dark Loki.

"You've caused enough harm," the Allfather said gravely, "we are returning to Asgard." Odin turned to Thor and added, "We must get your brother to our best healers. He can still be saved."

Thor nodded, too numb to reply. He stood and made sure he had a tight grip on the unconscious form of his brother. He didn't know where to look at this point. He couldn't stand the foul and perverted look in Dark Loki's eyes, nor could he stand to see the devastation and exhaustion on his friends' faces. Looking down pained him as well. He hated to see the dagger sticking out of his brother's chest. He certainly hated to see how he was having difficulty breathing at this point.

And then there was his father. Thor didn't want to look at him either. He knew what he would find in Odin's eyes. The king had given him one simply task: return evil Loki to Asgard. Somehow, Thor felt he had failed. The dying version of his brother was proof of that, was it not? He should have stopped Dark Loki sooner. He should have been smarter or stronger. He should have done…more.

Thor sighed heavily.

_He_ suddenly felt extremely tired.

Tony and Natasha handed Dark Loki to his father and stepped back, their heads slightly bowed. Odin said nothing as he made sure his eldest son and the two versions of his youngest one stood close enough. He raised his spear, calling back the power of the Tesseract, and returned them to Asgard.

~ o ~

Tony stared at the spot where only a moment ago, Odin and his…three sons had stood. It was difficult to believe that the chase for the lunatic had finally ended. Dark Loki had been captured and was now Asgard's problem. Tony knew he should feel relieved, but he didn't have the energy. His thoughts drifted towards Pepper. He missed her and he wanted to be with her.

He looked around to see the sad expressions on his friends' faces. He could tell what they were all thinking. Natasha looked regretful. She probably hated that she hadn't kill Dark Loki like she had promised Clint. Bruce looked tired and worn out. He seemed to long for a few hours of peaceful rest. Steve no longer looked like the dashing soldier. He had a stubble on his chin and his blue eyes looked faded. Tony suspected the Captain was still feeling guilty about attacking his friends.

Figuring out what the Director was thinking appeared impossible. Fury placed his hands in his sides and spun around to face his Avengers. Tony truly hoped he wasn't planning on giving them a pep-talk. It would be pointless and frankly, Tony didn't want to hear it. He didn't want to hear how they had all done a great job or how they had saved the world again. They hadn't. Not even in the slightest. They hadn't even been able to protect their own kin.

"We should all get some rest," Fury said in low tones, "I think you guys deserve some time off."

"I can't," Natasha answered, much to Tony's surprise, "I've got to keep busy."

Fury narrowed his one good eye. Tony could tell he disliked Natasha's comment.

"You've been through a lot, agent," Fury said, "losing your partner is never easy."

"We all know he was more than that," Natasha said, her voice breaking. Yet she didn't fall apart. In fact, her eyes grew cold and calculated. "I loved Clint and he loved me. Loki knew that and he tore us apart because he thought it would be a fun game to play. Clint deserves a proper funeral. Who will arrange that?"

Fury eyed his agent steadily.

"SHIELD will," he answered.

"Then after the funeral," Natasha continued, "I am going back to work. I am a good agent, Director, you know that. I'm invaluable. There must be something I can help out with. Give me some bad guy to beat up."

"We'll discuss this later," Fury sighed, "for now, we all need rest. We are exhausted and sleep-deprived. The day after tomorrow, I will send two agents to escort you all back to SHIELD's base. There we'll be able to close this case once and for all."

"Do you really think it's that simply?" Tony asked.

"Well…we'll have to try and move on anyway," Fury said, sounding exasperated.

"Why?" Tony asked angrily. He didn't know why he tried to argue with the boss of SHIELD. "Why can't we feel horrible for a while? Natasha lost her soul mate. I nearly lost Pepper. Steve has been used as a puppet by a psychopath and Bruce killed-"

He stopped himself right there. There was no need to rub it into Banner's face.

"It's all right," Bruce said solemnly, "I am much too aware of how many people I killed."

"We'll come to SHIELD's base when we're ready," Steve said, clearly trying to steer away the conversation of Bruce's victims, "and at this moment, we are need a little longer than two days to recover."

Fury could agree with that.

~ o ~

Thor was pacing outside of Loki's healing chamber. His mother and father were currently inside, but if it were up to the healers, they would have been kicked a long time ago. However, you never argued with the king and queen of your realm. But Thor had granted them all space. The room inside had become too busy and Thor had needed a moment to ease his mind.

He felt adrenaline pumping through his veins. At this moment, he had forgotten all about his fatigue. His mind was racing. He kept thinking of his mortal friends and he wondered if they would be okay. Then he thought of his injured brother and the torn look on Odin's face. Clearly the Allfather had not enjoyed seeing his son hurt. And then there was Frigga. Thor felt he had barely seen her. She had rushed towards him, embraced him tightly and then disappeared into the healing chamber. Thor had no idea what she was thinking and feeling.

Minutes passed, perhaps even an hour. Maybe even two. Thor couldn't tell.

The doors to the healing chamber opened and Thor swirled around. Odin exited the room, a drained expression on his face. For a moment, Thor feared the Odinsleep was drawing close again. Yet, there was something calm to his composure as well. Thor already felt reassured. He knew his father would never appear so collected if his son had died.

No, Thor told himself, his brother was absolutely fine.

"Loki will live," Odin said, confirming Thor's suspicion, "he will only need a few days to heal."

Thor let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding.

"Can't you join the two Loki's together now?" He asked, frowning. As much as he despised that evil version of his brother and loved the good one, he couldn't help but want everything to return to normal again. "Then this matter would be resolved and this mess would finally end."

"Not yet," Odin answered, "your brother is still too weak. I have no idea what will happen should I force him and his counterpart together. This is unprecedented, Thor, I cannot say what would happen exactly."

"But you _can_ join them together again, can't you?"

"Yes, but I need to prepare myself. We have time now. Loki needs peace and quiet and his Dark counterpart is locked away in one of the dungeons. He cannot escape."

"I know."

"I must return to your mother," Odin added, "she is very distraught."

Thor considered joining his parents. He wanted to sit at his brother's side, he wanted to tell him he believed in him. He wanted to assure Loki that he was stronger one. But there was something else he had to do first. The thought had been nagging him for a while now.

"I will come and join you and mother as soon as I can," he said.

Odin inhaled deeply. It had been a while since he had appeared to Thor as a father and not as a king. It almost felt strange to see him act so…familiar. He wasn't keeping up pretenses. He didn't care the healers saw his concern and love for his son. Thor enjoyed seeing that side of his father and he wished Loki could see it as well.

"I know what you are planning," Odin said, his blue gaze boring into Thor's, "but don't expect any answers from Dark Loki. I'm not sure even he knows them."

Thor had to try anyway.

~ o ~

The dungeons were a strange place to visit. They weren't dark or damp. The walls weren't covered with writings or peculiar marks. In fact, the entire maze below the Asgardian Palace was well-lit. There were almost two dozen halls that each contained about twenty cells. In these days, those cells were barely used anymore. Asgard was a peaceful realm, yet there had been a different time. Centuries ago, these cells had been filled with criminals ranging from petty thieves to murderers.

But Thor disliked visiting this part of the palace.

The sunlight streamed inside through windows that were located just above the ground. It might not be a dark or damp place, but there certainly was a lot of dust. It twirled around in the fading orange sunlight. It didn't help either that his footsteps echoed loudly. Thor felt strangely exposed.

After turning five times, he arrived at the hall where Dark Loki was kept prisoner. Clearly Odin was not taking any risks. Four guards stood at the ends of the hallway and another four were located just outside Loki's cell. Thor acknowledged the guards presence and the guards bowed before him. He ordered the ones just outside of Loki's cell to give them privacy.

Thor gazed directly at his evil brother. Loki began to smile, but it wasn't kind or warm. In truth, that particular smile sent shivers down his back. Loki's eyes stood calculated and extremely determined. Thor could tell Loki was planning on exploiting the situation. He would try and manipulate everything that came to pass. Thor swore to himself he wouldn't fall victim of his brother.

"I was beginning to wonder when you would show up," Loki said, amusement in his voice.

Loki stood in the middle of his spacious cell. There was a bed in the far left corner as well as a small washbasin in the far right corner. A small window near the ceiling with thick, metal bars allowed fading sunlight to enter the cell, keeping it warm for now. Thor had seen his brother locked up before, but this felt different. This felt dangerous and hazardous.

"Don't give me that look, _brother_," Loki hissed.

Thor hadn't been aware he was giving Loki a look in the first place. Now that he was self-aware, he understood he had been glaring at his brother. His eyes were narrowed and his teeth were bared. Thor's hands were balled into fists and he suddenly missed the weight of Mjolnir in his hand.

"Your counterpart will live," Thor said, not knowing why he told Dark Loki this, "your attempt to kill him failed."

"Well not everything could go according to plan," Loki replied icily, "but I take comfort in the fact that your pathetic mortal pets are probably crying their eyes out now."

"Don't you ever get tired of it?" Thor asked. He gazed directly into Dark Loki's eyes and he found himself missing the kinder version. He wondered what pair of eyes would remain once Odin joined them together again. Thor knew his heart would break if he would still see _those_ eyes. "Don't you ever get tired of your hatred? Of your anger? Don't you get tired from always scolding and cursing and threatening?"

Loki narrowed his eyes. Clearly he disliked the way the conversation was going. _Good_, Thor thought,_ he shouldn't always be in charge_. Pushing him into a little corner might just be what Thor wanted to achieve. He didn't know why. Maybe he just wanted to be angry with Loki for a while.

"You've changed," Loki said, his voice low. Suddenly he became a serpent that lay very still in the grass and waited for the right moment to strike. "You're not the strong, golden boy of Asgard anymore."

"And why would that be?"

Thor didn't even have the strength to against his brother. He was indeed a very different person now. He did wonder where that youthful, arrogant and proud man had gone. The time when he walked down the throne room, ready to become the new ruler of Asgard appeared long gone.

"Would you like to see me tortured, Thor?" Loki suddenly asked. He cocked his head a little to the left. It had always been a playful gesture, but not anymore. "Would you like to see me dead?"

Thor averted his gaze. He knew he shouldn't have.

Loki stood directly before the large metal bars separating him from Thor in a second. His fingers curled around the cold metal, his eyes gleaming with something Thor hadn't seen in him before. It wasn't amusement, nor was it contempt. It was something else, something worse.

It appeared to be satisfaction. Only now did Thor realize Loki felt completely at ease. He had regained a grip on the situation and Thor knew he had to steal back the control. He didn't want that version of his brother glimpsing into his head. He certainly didn't want him reading his thoughts.

"Do you want to place your hands on my throat and squeeze all life out of me?" Loki barely contained a laugh. "Would you like it when I cease to breathe? Would you like it when you see all life fading from my eyes?"

Thor swallowed heavily. It wasn't a fantasy he liked to entertain, but he couldn't deny that he hadn't thought about killing this Loki. Life would be so much simpler. It would be so much easier to bear because he would still have that pure, loving and caring brother currently lying upstairs.

"I think you would enjoy it," Loki hissed viciously, "so why don't you?"

"I am not going to kill you," Thor said steadily. He dared to look back at his brother. "Like I said, the Allfather will put you and your counterpart together again. Then everything will be fixed and life can continue."

"I would rather die!"

It was a comment Thor had not expected. He frowned slightly before noticing that Loki's grip on the metal bars loosened. It appeared as if the trickster had let something slip. It had been such a short and seemingly unimportant outburst, but Thor realized there lay more truth in those words than anyone could have guessed.

"You are afraid," Thor said, more a statement than a question, "you truly don't want to be reunited with your counterpart and that is why you tried to kill him."

"You are imagining things."

"No, I am not," Thor answered curtly, "you said you wanted to rip away the one thing I care about most. You said you wanted to kill your counterpart because you had failed to kill Jane. That might not have been a complete lie, but there is so much more to it."

Loki growled and spun around. He had his back to Thor, but Thor didn't care. He didn't need to see his brother's face to know what he was currently thinking. Now it was Thor who stepped closer to the metal bars. His eyes bore into Loki's back.

"I never thought it possible," he said, "you always put up such a façade, but in the end you are a little, lost boy. You're deathly afraid that when Odin puts you and the other one together again you'll disappear. You _know_ you're not as strong as you make everyone believe."

"I will crush your beloved brother," Loki snapped, still not turning to look at Thor, "I hope you haven't got used to me because I am all that will remain."

Thor smiled sadly and said, "I don't think so."

Loki spun around with the swiftness and the velocity of a fox. He was at the metal bars in the blink of an eye and Thor couldn't help but stumble back. He had never before seen…_this_. Loki looked crazed. He held a mad gaze as his eyes stood wide and frenzied. He was breathing erratically and his hands shook with fury.

"I will kill you," Loki shouted, "I will kill your father and I will kill your mother. I will kill all of you! Asgard will fall and I will rise! Ragnarok will come and claim your souls and I will be the one watching every single one _burn_ in hell."

Thor stared.

Loki settled down again. His breathing slowed down, his hands stopped trembling and his eyes became smaller again. The change was so suddenly that Thor was taken aback by it. He could not handle this. He could not handle the craziness that was contained within his brother. Even when that Loki and the one upstairs would be joined again, that same craziness would still be present. Perhaps it would be buried, but it would always drip into normal Loki's mind. It would have some effect.

Loki began to laugh.

"Did I scare you?"

Thor quickly shook away his thoughts.

"You might have," he said, deciding it was useless to lie about it, "I never knew your hatred for all of us ran so deep."

"Oh, you have no idea," Loki replied calmly.

Thor licked his dry lips. Odin had warned him about this - he had told him not to expect any answers - but he had actually learned quite a lot about his brother these past few minutes. He just wondered how he could use all this knowledge in the future. Loki would know instantly, but Thor had never been the kind of person that paid much attention to these kind of details.

He needed to think. Most of all, he needed to rest. He couldn't remember the last time he had slept properly. With everything that had been happening, Thor was amazed that he could still stand at this point.

"Next time you'll see me," Thor said, "it will be in the throne room just before you become one with your counterpart again."

Loki smiled slyly.

"I'm looking forward to it."

Thor didn't bother to respond. He glanced at Loki one last time and left.

He couldn't help but feel in need of a shower. Somehow it felt as if Dark Loki had contaminated him, as if all his darkness, hatred and anger had left a mark on him. Yes, Thor longed for a hot bath. He also longed for when his brother would be fixed.

Then peace could finally return to their lives.


	20. Chapter 20

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Marvel-characters!**

**AN: Thank you so much for all of your feedback. It was fun to read how many of you loved Dark Loki's rant in the previous chapter. I too kinda love that Loki. But here is the next chapter. I hope you'll enjoy it. Just one more chapter to go! Please let me know what you think of this chapter!**

**~ The Opposites ~**

**Chapter 20**

~ o ~

Two days later

~ o ~

It was only after breakfast that Thor made his way towards Loki's healing chamber. He knew his brother had woken yesterday evening, but he thought it was best to give him some time and space to properly recover. Getting stabbed in the chest could not have been a pleasant experience. The healers had been surprised by Loki's quick recovery, but Thor didn't find it so strange. His brother always had a few surprises in store for them. This wasn't any different.

Yet everything would change again. Thor knew that his father was planning on uniting the two versions of Loki later today. It was strange to think he would have his 'real' brother back again. Thor could barely remember the true version of Loki. He only knew there was a despicable version of him now currently locked in a cell downstairs. The mere thought of Dark Loki made Thor shiver. He much preferred the second version of his brother. He had grown to care for that Loki and he wanted to protect him at all costs. It just seemed he would never be able to protect him from himself.

Thor pushed open the doors and entered the healing chamber. Bright sunlight streamed inside through three high windows. The air was warm and Thor wondered if his brother enjoyed this. Loki had always preferred the cold over the heat. It had never made sense until Thor had learned of Loki's true nature. Being a Frost Giant had explained a lot of things.

Loki was sitting up in his bed. Around him lay a dozen books. Thor didn't doubt books Frigga had given them to her son. When Thor had entered, however, Loki had lost all interests for those books. Instead, his green eyes widened with delight. A kind smile spread across his face. It wasn't a sight Thor was used to seeing. Loki _never_ smiled. Not like this, not so…heartfelt and sincere.

"Brother," Thor said as he took a chair and pulled it closer to Loki's bed, "you look better."

"I feel fine," Loki replied lively, "I'm healing well."

Thor sat down and leaned forward with his elbows on his knees. He told himself to enjoy these moments since they were their last, but then he remembered he wasn't actually _losing_ his brother. Loki would always exist; he would just be different again.

"Father is going to restore you this afternoon," Thor explained, not knowing if Loki was already aware of this, "he is putting you and your counterpart together again."

Loki lowered his gaze, his smile disappearing.

"I know," he sighed.

"I wish you could stay," Thor said, keeping his gaze trained on his brother. He felt concerned for him, but at this point, there was nothing he could do, "I wish we could just forget about the one in a cell downstairs, "I've spoken with him. You should have seen it. He was so wrong, like a mistake of nature. He was so…_broken_."

Loki looked up now. Gone was his kind smile. Sadness had taken control of his gaze. Thor hated it and he wanted to bring back that smile. Yet he knew that wouldn't happen again. He should have treasured it more.

"Broken is the right word," Loki said, "it's exactly how I feel."

"You're not broken."

"I am," Loki said stubbornly. He balled his hands into fists. "I am broken, but as soon as I am one with my counterpart again, I'll never admit it anymore. I'll keep all the pain and hurt inside. I won't trust anyone anymore. I'll hide myself behind my anger and my hatred." Loki moved so that he sat almost directly before Thor. His green eyes had widened, showing a kind of desperation Thor had never seen before. "Never think that darkness all is all that I am, Thor."

Thor frowned. He disliked seeing Loki so distressed. "I don't understand."

"I'm scared that I'll curse your name again," Loki explained quietly. He had a pained expression on his face. "I'm scared I'll go back to wanting you dead. But never doubt that there is a part of me that loves you, Thor. I will be in there somewhere, fighting for you. You are my brother and I will always love you, never forget that."

"I know," Thor answered, feeling stunned.

"Good."

"And I love you, too."

Loki smiled again and Thor told himself to enjoy it for as long as it lasted.

~ o ~

The throne room was silent, but Thor found that a good thing. It made him feel more at ease. He was relieved that Odin had decided to perform the spell with only family and a few friends present. Some Elders had been outraged that they had been banned from this event, but the Allfather had not paid it any attention.

At Thor's left side stood his mother. Her hands were folded before her stomach, making her appear serene, but Thor knew her. He could see tension in her shoulders and her skin looked almost ashen grey. He had spotted concern in her eyes the moment she had entered. He supposed it was only natural. Frigga had sat at Loki's sickbed for two days. She had worried about him – she still did – and now she had to watch her husband put the two versions of her sons together again.

It wasn't something a mother found joyous to witness.

Thor wished it didn't have to happen either.

Looking up at the throne, he noticed his father's apprehension. He appeared to think that much could still go wrong. He was partially right. Dark Loki might be without magic, but he still had a slick silver tongue. In his most desperate times, he had always proven to be most inventive. Just look at all the trouble he caused on Midgard. Thor momentarily wondered how his mortal friends were doing, but then he shook them from his mind. He should focus on the situation at hand.

To his right stood the good version of his brother. Loki didn't even bother to hide his nerves. He was biting his lower lip, a sign that always revealed he felt uneasy. He still looked rather pale while the darkness around his eyes betrayed how tired he felt. Thor was beginning to doubt this was a good idea. Perhaps they should wait a couple of days longer.

Loki caught his gaze and began to smile reassuringly. It wasn't the same smile he had shown Thor in the healing room. This smile held tension and fear. He leaned closer to Thor and whispered, "I'll be all right."

"I do not like this," Thor replied softly, not wanting everyone to hear him. He could feel the stares of his parents on him suddenly, but he ignored them. He also knew the Warriors Three and the Lady Sif were watching him, but he ignored them as well. "Perhaps you need to rest a few more days, brother, gain more strength."

"Now is the time," Loki replied determinedly, "just remember what we talked about this morning. Remember what I told you."

Thor nodded. He wanted to say something that would assure his brother even more, but the doors to the throne room opened. Everyone turned to look at who entered.

Eight guards walked inside, six of them heavily armed. Three walked up front while three walked behind. They were carrying spears and swords and Thor was certain they had another dozen daggers hidden all over their bodies. He knew those guards. They were part of Odin's Elite Force. They were the best warriors in the Nine Realms. Even Thor, the Warriors Three and the Lady Sif would have trouble defeating them.

Two guards walked in the middle. They didn't carry any weapons. Instead, they had a firm grip on the evil version of his brother who currently grinning deviously. Thor detested it and wanted to smack that grin from his face. Yet he stayed put and kept his eyes firmly on his evil brother.

He could feel himself tense. He much preferred to see that man behind bars.

The eight guards escorted Dark Loki towards the King.

"Well here I am," Dark Loki said with a growl, his smirk having vanished already. Thor would never get used to the fact that Dark Loki managed to swing his mood around so quickly. "I hope you know what you're doing, Allfather. One wrong use of the spell and you could end up killing your precious daughter over there."

Thor expected the Good Loki to flinch at his counterpart's words, but he stayed strangely calm and collected. It was very admirable. Thor wondered what was currently going through Good Loki's head. He would never know.

"Step forward," Odin commanded.

Good Loki did as he was told while Dark Loki needed a violent push from the guards. Dark Loki momentarily lost his balance, but he quickly straightened his back – refusing to lose any of his dignity – and went to stand beside his counterpart.

"We meet again," Dark Loki drawled with amusement in his eyes.

Thor was glad Dark Loki's hands had been tied together. At least his movements were restricted.

It stayed so very strange for Thor to be staring at two Loki's. He thought he would be used to it by now, but this was something he would never get used to. A part of him really wanted his father to hurry now. He wanted this madness to end.

Odin rose from his throne and came down the short flight of stairs. All eyes remained on the two Loki's however. Thor observed both versions of his brother as well. The good version looked at peace. His green eyes spoke only of confidence as he followed Odin's movements. Dark Loki was the opposite in every way. He appeared like a crazy cat that will scratch you whenever you come too close. His eyes shot around the room, landing on Odin first, then moving towards Frigga and eventually landing on Thor himself.

Thor gazed back at the wretched version of his brother. He refused to look away since that would only reveal his own tension and discomfort.

Odin's grip on Gungnir tightened when he stood directly before his two identical sons. The past few days, Thor had only seen Odin as his father. He hadn't been afraid to show his concern and love for his son, but now that was all gone. All those emotions had been buried. All that remained was a strict, righteous King. There lay no sympathy or kindness in his eyes. Only determination.

Thor watched, almost in awe, as Odin raised his spear and aimed it at the two Loki's. Words fell from his lips, but Thor never bothered to try and understand the language of magic.

A bright blue light appeared from the tip of Gungnir. Last time this had happened, everything had gone horribly wrong, so Thor held his breath and hoped things would end well this time. The light grew more intense and Thor had to look away.

A heat filled the air, but it wasn't unpleasant. Then a ripple moved through the room. It was ever so faint, but it did make the little hairs in Thor's neck stand up. The light dimmed until it completely vanished a few seconds later. Thor dared to open his eyes, anxious to see if Odin's spell had worked.

He let out a heavy breath when he felt all the tension slip away from him. Only one Loki stood before his father. He appeared like the brother Thor had grown up with. He had shoulder-long, raven hair of which the ends curled slightly. His skin looked pale, but not unhealthy, but it was the eyes that told Thor he had his brother back.

His _normal_ brother.

Loki's green eyes stood wide with confusion and bewilderment, but there was something more to his gaze. There was a sharpness present that Thor had not seen in days. Clearly Loki was hiding his thoughts and emotions and Thor could see… He didn't really know what he could see in those green eyes. He refused to call it 'darkness', yet that was the perfect way to describe it.

He already hated it.

Loki stepped back and reached for his head. His hands trembled slightly. A frown covered his face and Thor suddenly grew extremely worried. The spell had gone well, hadn't it? Thor hurried forward and put a protective hand on his brother's arm in order to support him.

Loki didn't immediately react.

"Are you all right?" Thor asked, making sure he kept his voice steady.

Loki's head snapped towards him. It was as if he only now noticed his brother standing next to him.

"Yes, yes, I'm fine," he muttered as he quickly pulled his arm free from Thor's grasp, "and I am perfectly capable of standing on my own."

Thor stepped back, feeling confused and uncomfortable. He didn't really know how to deal with this Loki anymore and he certainly did not want to antagonize him further. _It was so strange_, thought Thor. He had expected to recognize both version of his brother inside this one, but he couldn't. This was just…_Loki_. There wasn't a good and a bad side to him. They had melted together again.

Black and white formed grey.

"You look pained," Thor said, realizing the throne room was completely silent.

Everyone was staring at the two brothers.

Loki huffed, appearing annoyed.

"You should try having two different sets of memories inside your mind. It feels as if my head is about to explode."

"Those effects should lessen soon enough," Odin explained with a strained voice. He might look pleased with how it had turned out, but Thor could tell his father still had trouble handling his son. Odin had long lost a grip on his youngest. He walked back to his throne and sat down. "The situation had finally been resolved."

Thor was only grateful for that.

"And now?" Loki asked bitterly, yet his voice held a strange edge to it. His green gaze stayed firmly on Odin. For a moment, he appeared rebellious, but then Thor noticed the flicker of insecurity within his brother. "I know what I have done on earth, Allfather, and I know how many people have died because of me. I'm sure you will want to punish me for that somehow."

Odin sighed heavily. He stared right back at his son.

Thor felt uncertain about the situation. It had changed so suddenly. There hung a tension in the air that had not been there a moment ago. It made him feel guarded and tentative. He wondered if he should say something, but Thor was at a loss for words.

"You have lost your magic," Odin said with a grave voice, "you will have a chance to earn it back in due time."

Loki narrowed his eyes.

"As for now," Odin continued, "you will be locked in a cell where you can do no harm. I must contemplate over your fate, Loki. Much has happened like you said and I must take all of it into consideration."

"So you don't know what to do with me," Loki said plainly.

Odin ignored Loki's statement. He nodded at the guards and said, "Take him to his cell."

Again, Thor felt he should say something but he couldn't. What could he say to aid Loki's cause? After all, many people had died on Midgard because of him. Thor inhaled deeply as he realized difficult times still lay ahead. And so he could only watch as two guards seized Loki's arms and pulled him back. Loki did nothing to struggle.

For the shortest moment Loki gazed at Thor. In that moment it felt as if those green eyes were staring directly into his soul. And Thor gazed back until the doors of the throne room closed behind his brother and the eight guards.

He still did not know what he could say or do.


	21. Chapter 21

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Marvel-characters!**

**AN: I finally did it! I managed to write the final chapter to this story. I don't know why it came so slowly. Maybe I didn't want to say goodbye to The Opposites because it has been such a thrill to write. I want to think GreenLoki for helping me with a few details and I also want to thank Lady Charity because she gave me a brilliant idea (Lady Charity, you'll know what I'm talking about as soon as you read the part).**

**I also want to thank everyone who stuck with this story until the very end. Thanks for the reviews and the support. You guys rock! Now on with the final chapter. I really hope you'll like it.**

**Cass**

**~ The Opposites ~**

**Chapter 21**

As soon as Tony had heard the news, he had made his way towards Natasha's bedroom. He walked down a long hallway and when he passed Clint's room, he couldn't help but sigh heavily. He and Clint had never been best buds, but they had been good friends and they had enjoyed working together. It was still strange to think that he wouldn't be around anymore.

It was another reason why the news had shocked Tony. He wasn't sure why he was going to Natasha. It wasn't as if he would be able to change her mind. Natasha was a very headstrong woman and there was only one man that would be able to talk her out of it. Too bad that man was now the reason of her decision.

That man was now dead.

Again, Tony sighed. He realized nothing would ever be the same anymore.

After knocking on Natasha's door, he entered without really waiting for a response. He found Natasha placing a pile of clothes into a blue bag. She didn't turn around to look at him, but Tony could tell how tense she was. It was all in the shoulders.

"I just talked to Fury," Tony began, not bothering to greet her properly.

"If you're here to try and change my mind," Natasha cut him off, "then I don't want to hear it."

Tony shook his head even though Natasha wasn't looking at him. He crossed his arms before his chest and inhaled deeply. When Natasha did turn around to look at him, he found her eyes heavy with sadness.

"I don't want you to leave," Tony told her with a soft voice. He didn't often show this sensitive side of himself to his fellow Avengers. He didn't even show it to Pepper that often. Yet today felt different and today Tony decided that hiding his feelings would be pointless. "I don't want you to quit."

"I'm not quitting," Natasha replied. She sounded exhausted and sorrowful. "I just need some time, Tony, I need time to figure things out."

"And what if we need you?" Tony asked, raising one eyebrow. "What if the Avengers face some kind of danger and you're not around to save our asses?"

Natasha snorted, amused. It had been a while since she appeared more relaxed like that. "You and your team of superheroes don't need me for that, Stark. It was just with dumb luck that I ended up on your team. I'm not like you or the others, I'm still…little old mortal me."

"We're all mortal."

"You are _Iron_ _Man_," Natasha countered with a smile, "the whole world watches you and as long as I am around you, the whole world will be watching me as well. I don't want that, not now. Up until a few months ago, I could face it all because I had my best and my oldest friend at my side. I lost him and I…I need to figure out where I want to go next."

"You can figure that out here," Tony argued, knowing that Natasha wasn't going to listen to him anyway. Yet he had to at least try. "We're prepared to give you all the space and time you need."

"No."

"So I can't talk you out of going to Hungary?"

Natasha shook her head, her red curls bouncing up and down. Tony had always seen her as a strong, foxy and willful woman. Lately, however, he had come to know a different side to her. She appeared smaller somehow, and almost fragile. Her eyes held a sort of glimmer that he could only describe as unending grief and sadness. He wished he could help her in some way.

"You're going to be fine," she told him sincerely, "you are all going to be fine."

Tony gazes at her. "I'm not so sure. It feels like our team is falling apart. Clint is…" Could he really say it out loud? "-_dead_, Thor has gone back to Asgard for who knows how long and now you are leaving."

"Thor will come back and you don't need me, not now anyway," Natasha said, smiling faintly, "you're all going to be fine, Tony. You are the Avengers after all."

~ o ~

Bored.

It was all Loki could think of for the moment. He was bored and he wished he had something to occupy his mind with. Before all this, he had been allowed to spend time in the library, but he knew his mother wouldn't be able to do the same for him now. He sighed and let his head drop against the wall behind him. He was starting to hate this cell. It was spacious and clean, but again, that made it only boring.

He thought he should find himself lucky that his hands were no longer tied together.

Voices sounded in the distance and Loki instantly perked up. It had been days since he had seen anyone. Anyone important at least. He often saw the guards since they were the ones that brought him food and such, but they don't converse.

The voices grew closer and Loki smiled. He could recognize that voice anywhere. He stood from his bed and moved closer to the metal bars that kept him inside this cell. A few seconds later, Frigga appeared. She wore a warm, but faint smile. When Loki saw the package she was carrying, he smiled back at her.

"I'm sorry I couldn't come earlier," she said kindly, "but I managed to bring these books for you. Your father was against it, but we both know how stubborn I can be."

Loki curled his fingers around the metal bars and he felt glad when Frigga placed her left hand on his. He enjoyed her warm touch and he was relieved he found no anger or hatred in her eyes. He wouldn't blame her if that had been the case, not after everything he did on earth. He wondered what she was thinking right now, but Frigga has been a master at hiding her true emotions as well. Loki learned it from somewhere after all.

"Thank you for coming," he said, not bothering to put up a strong façade, "how are the others?"

He knew Frigga could look straight through him. By others he meant Thor. He hadn't seen or heard from him since Odin put him together again. He remembered seeing him speechless in the throne room and he wondered if Thor feels guilty somehow. It would only be fair in some extend. If it wasn't for Thor, Loki would never have caused so much chaos on earth.

"Your brother misses you," Frigga explained, her voice soft, "but he is doing well."

She pushed the books through the narrow metal bars and Loki gratefully accepted them. He put them on his bed, but ignored them for now. He was sure his mother brought him some interesting material.

"Do you know anything, mother?" He asked softly. "Has Odin decided anything? I hate to sit here and not know my fate."

Frigga inhaled deeply before replying, "For the moment you'll remain here. Don't expect any freedom soon, but know that I will always be on your side. I will always be your voice and I will not let anything happen to you. I won't stand for it."

"Thank you, mother," Loki sighed, "you are all that I've got left."

"Don't be so sure," Frigga said kindly, "Thor still has your back. Even with everything that has happened, he still loves you and he'll protect you." There was a short silence. "I'll try and bring you new books next week. Stay strong, Loki, and everything will be okay."

Loki could only watch his mother leave. He wished she could stay longer, but he was merely grateful that he saw her again. She would be back next week and he was already looking forward to that.

~ o ~

Another day tediously passed by in silence. Loki had already read a book today and now he was tired of reading. He wished he could practice his magic, but feared it would be at least another decade before Odin would give him his magic back. That though frightened him. He had always depended so on his powers. What was left of him now?

Just a war criminal, stuck in this cell for who knows how long.

Footsteps sounded in the distance and Loki narrowed his eyes. He couldn't recognize them and he wished he could hear voices. It wasn't his mother that much he knew. The footsteps were heavy and sounded almost hesitant. It was as if whoever was approaching was changing his mind. Loki suddenly understood who was coming. He quickly got up from his spot on his bed and moved towards the bars.

The footsteps grew closer still and finally Loki saw him.

Thor looked tired and weary. For a moment Loki thought something had happening, but then he knew Thor was merely torn about the situation. He was probably getting little sleep these past few days. _Good_, he thought, _I shouldn't be the only one feeling so miserable_.

"Hello, Loki," Thor said as he stood a few paces away from the cell.

Loki found it strange to hear his own name coming from Thor's mouth. He normally called him brother, but now his name sounded like a burden to him. Loki was starting to wish Thor would leave again. He wasn't in the mood for a deep and meaningful conversation.

"What do you want?" He asked. He didn't know why he sounded so curt each time he talked to Thor. Whenever Frigga came around, Loki didn't bother to pretend. But when Thor entered the picture, Loki could feel the rise of walls within him. He refused to show any weaknesses. It had become an automatic process.

"I want to know how you are," Thor said surprisingly compassionately.

"Don't pretend you don't know," Loki replied, "I'm sure mother has told you she has come to see me the other day."

Thor nodded and crossed his arms before his chest. He looked guarded and for a moment Loki thought it was something he learned from his little brother.

"This isn't easy for anyone," Thor said, "your actions have caused quite a stir."

"I'm sure they did," Loki said disinterested, "but then again, I am the God of Mischief. I had to live up to my name, didn't I?"

Thor stepped closer and Loki gazed at him intently. He wanted to see every feeling flicker across his face. He wanted to read his eyes and know what he was thinking. Thor might make an attempt at hiding his emotions, but Loki will always be able to figure him out in the end.

Suddenly Thor narrowed his eyes. It only lasted for a second and Thor quickly composed himself again, but Loki noticed. He stared into Thor's bright blue eyes and he instantly knew what thought had passed through his brother.

"You are wondering," Loki began, knowing he was unnerving Thor at the moment, "if I regret anything. You are wondering which Loki is currently standing before you." A moment of silence passed and Thor looked absolutely edgy. "I'm afraid you won't like the answer. I'm just me, Thor, little old Loki and I regret nothing."

"You don't mean that," Thor countered quickly, "tell me you don't mean that."

"I could lie for you," Loki said, cocking his head slightly, "I could tell you I regret murdering your archer friend. Do you want that?"

Thor pressed his lips together. His careful and collected composure transformed into an angry one. He also looked slightly anxious. "No," he answered, "if you are going to lie, then I rather you stay silent."

Loki repeated his first question. "Then why are you here? Surely you didn't expect a warm and touchy conversation? I'm not the brother you love after all." He watched Thor's eyes widen. "Oh, I remember what you told me. You rooted for good old Loki and you said you wished my darker version would just die."

"I never said that."

"Perhaps not with so many words," Loki said angrily, "but it comes down to it, doesn't it? There is a part of me you despise, Thor, a part you wished _dead_!"

"I'm sorry," Thor whispered. It was so genuine and full of guilt that Loki was momentarily taken off guard by it. He didn't know he could still have such an effect on his brother. "No apology can rectify this, but let me tell you this. I was wrong and I should never have said that. I meant it when I told you I loved you. I love you still because you are my brother."

"Do you know how little that means to me?" Loki asked softly, knowing that he was letting down his guard. He actually sounded distraught. "No matter what I do, no matter what you tell me, I will always think that you hate a part of me."

Thor suddenly stepped even closer. He was inches away from Loki now and if he extended his hand, he could touch his brother. Loki felt intimated and he couldn't help but step back. It has become such an automatic gesture that he doesn't even think about it. Thor looked momentarily disappointed.

"I'll do anything to prove you wrong," Thor said, not looking away from Loki's green, cautionate gaze, "I'll show you that I am still your big brother and that I still have not given up on you."

"I don't understand you, Thor," Loki replied, "I _killed_ two of your friends, I tried to kill the woman you love. Why are you being so…forgiving?"

"Because we're family," Thor said as if it was the most obvious answer in the world, "_you_ are my family, my brother. Yes, there is a side to you that I'll never understand, but it is who you are and if I give up on you then I will never forgive myself for abandoning you, brother."

Loki sighed heavily. He had sworn not to participate in a sentimental conversation, but he hadn't been able to stop himself. There was always something about his brother that brought down his shield.

"You are the biggest idiot in Asgard," he said, "and the most stubborn."

"That I am," Thor said. Surprisingly, there lay amusement in his eyes. "Do you believe me, brother?"

It was strange to hear him say 'brother' again and Loki was astonished to find that he enjoyed it. He still remembered his time on Midgard. He remembered the hatred and the anger and he remembered trying to kill everyone the Avengers held dear. Yet he also remembered trying to help Thor. He could recall every conversation they've had on that damned planet. He had enjoyed every moment he got to spend with his brother. It had been just like the old days.

Loki longed for the old days again.

"I do believe that you are so unyielding that you would never give up on me," he said after a short silence, "I'm just warning you, brother, not to be disappointed if I ever do screw up again."

Thor inclined his head. "We will see," he said, "but in the end, I'll be there to help you pick up the pieces. In the end, you will always have your brother to fall back on."

And that right there might just be the kindest thing Thor had ever said to Loki.

"I might just keep you up on that promise."

Thor smiled at Loki who couldn't help but smile back.

~ o ~

The End.

~ o ~


End file.
